How We Fall
by Skylark Evanson
Summary: Robin folded his arms across his chest, watching the building get devoured piece by piece, brick by brick. "Do you need me there? I'm pretty sure Bats can handle it. Fires are such trivial things..."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: New story. I think I'm going to like this a lot. I do know it is AU, but it's not overly AU. Like, the team is still the team, but not everything fits in with the rest of the DC Universe. So hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p>It was like every other day. Every day, the six teens showed up at Mount Justice, awaiting further instruction. On a good day, Black Canary would keep them training until the sun had dipped far below the horizon and until they could scarcely move. Those were the days the young team liked. It made them feel like they were actually doing something instead of just standing around and waiting.<p>

But it was that day that had been jam-packed with training that Robin had had to stop in the middle of a punch that was about to completely take Black Canary down for the first time that any of the teens had seen. She had worn down after a long duel with Superboy and Robin's agility had discombobulated her enough so that that last hit would've sent her to the floor so she could receive the fail that the rest of them had gotten countless times over again. But he hadn't been able to deliver the final strike that would put down their teacher.

Instead, the dark-haired boy had paused at the sound of a buzzing alarm in his ear, his earwig going crazy as it livened with sudden activity. So he moved away from the blonde woman who had been about to fall because of his fist and pressed the button on his ever-present earwig. "Go," he said, moving to a place where he could take the call without hearing so many other voices such as those of his teammates (mostly Artemis and Kid Flash's, chastising him for stopping) who had suddenly grown loud.

There was a long moment of verbal silence in his ear, static the main sound that was relayed through the communicator. Then the voice of Clark Kent rang through with a dark undertone. "Turn on Channel Twelve."

Robin gave a quiet, "On it." He didn't yet turn off the communicator. He had heard something in Clark's voice that he wasn't relatively used to; he'd known and looked up to Superman for years now and the sound of his voice had contained some emotion that Robin was unable to identify. Because how often did the Kryptonian show any real emotions? The boy turned around, looking at where the glowing blue screens appeared out of thin air, hanging high above the heads of the young team.

"Dude, you stopped training to play with your little computer?" asked Kid Flash, completely flabbergasted as demonstrated by his dropping jaw. They had finally almost taken down Black Canary with one person alone. When two of the members teamed up, they'd managed to take down Black Canary a bit easier, but no one had successfully beaten her in hand-to-hand combat. "Come on, get back in the ring and-"

"Hush," hissed Robin, tapping in letters and commands to let his computer know what he wanted. The keyboard on his wrist did happen to make things pretty easy for him. The Boy Wonder could still hear Superman's breathing in his ear, a sign that the metahuman was still on the other end of the line. Then Robin punched in the final order for the computer to take in and work with before the television channel that Clark had requested he turn on came up on the giant screen of cerulean. And the boy's masked eyes flitted upwards to watch what Mr. Kent had wanted him to see.

Upon the screen was a sight of blazing flames that engulfed a building in licking fire. The stark black smoke that billowed out of the building laced the sky with gray clouds of ash. The flames that lapped their way out of the windows were eating away at the very structure of the building, the whole thing threatening to collapse.

"I've got it," said Robin into the communicator. His sapphire blue eyes were flitting over the screen, analyzing every aspect of the scene. He recognized the building, but he was unable to put a finger on where he knew it from. "What am I looking at?" asked the thirteen-year-old as he searches through his memory banks for some recollection of this place. And why in the world was Clark calling him?

"A fire in Gotham." The wailing sirens that were in Superman's range sent their cries of alarm through the earwig that the metahuman was using to the one that Robin had placed in his own ear. "It's the city hall building."

"Ah, got it." The boy hadn't recognized it like he should have. The architecture was harder to see behind a wall of thick smoke and the blazing of the bright scarlet flames. He folded his arms across his chest, watching the building get devoured piece by piece, brick by brick. "Do you need me there? I'm pretty sure Bats can handle it. Fires are such trivial things..."

The rest of the team had gone quiet at last, figuring Robin had had a good reason to take his call. By the looks of it, things on the home front weren't going great for the Boy Wonder. Wally and Artemis, despite their chiding of the ebony-haired kid, had finally fallen silent.

Clark took his time in answering. The static was the only sound that Robin was able to hear for the longest time. There was just silence as Superman drank in a breath of air, trying to figure out how to say it. "Just... Just stay these. Flash is coming."

Robin, skeptical of what was going on, just let the older hero kill the connection, the line going dead. So he turned off his own earwig, figuring Flash would be there soon enough for whatever was going on. Robin wasn't too worried. Batman had been taking on things bigger than fires since before his protege was even born. He wouldn't be needed, obviously, but that still didn't explain Superman's tone or why Flash was coming. He didn't feel the need to be concerned. Batman could take care of everything himself. What the Boy Wonder was more worried about was the fact that the buildings of downtown Gotham were in such close quarters that it would be easy for the blaze to spread to the next building over.

"What's going on?" asked Artemis, now watching the screen intently as well. She had been able to pick up on the structure of the building how Robin hadn't been able to. She knew it was Gotham City Hall.

Robin shrugged, still watching the building being torn apart by the fire. Time would only pass until the whole thing collapsed under the burning frame. "Nothing Batman can't handle. It's Gotham stuff."

"Then can we get back to training?" urged Wally, a bit antsy to get back to working on his moves. Now he was ready and prepared to take Black Canary down. His green eyes flitted to the woman.

Instead of focusing on the screen that Robin had pulled up, the blonde heroine had turned away from the image and was listening to someone talk to her through the earwig that she kept in the same way Robin and Superman always did. Not all the Justice Leaguers kept them on hand at all times, but the few that did were of the highest ranks. Her voice was so faint that the ginger couldn't pick out exact words, but he knew it related to something that was going on on this screen because she kept checking over her shoulder, azure orbs watching the Boy Wonder and the blaze that engulfed the building.

Wally just caught Artemis's glare and shrugged it off, finally resigning. Training could wait. The actual hero stuff came first; sometimes he hated it, other times, he loved it.

All seven heads in the room snapped towards the entrance at the cave's announcement of Flash's arrival, the man in the red suit coming into the cave from the bright light of the world outside. The speedster noticed that he had been a bit more conspicuous than he had originally wanted to be. So he gave a little wave and walked in, heading directly towards Black Canary.

Robin had seen Barry's entry, but he was still wrapped up in the problem that was on his home turf. He was almost waiting for the blaze to catch onto the buildings beside the city hall, but it never did. The crimson flames stayed intent on the city hall, the heart of Gotham's government. His arms remained folded across his chest, masked eyes focused on the screen that displayed the destruction of his hometown.

Wally was watching Black Canary and his uncle talk. He almost wished he had superhearing like the clone in the room did. Almost. The boy was trying to figure out what was going on. It was definitely something out of the norm. The heroes of the Justice League were almost always open with the sidekicks that they had raised, but this was more... closed off, more reserved. It was like everything was centered around some vital fact that was the missing piece of the puzzle. Kid Flash didn't want to ask, but he had to bite his tongue to keep the words from accidentally slipping out.

When the older speedster had finished speaking with the new team's teacher, he looked over his shoulder, eyes specifically looking at someone, but behind the mask, the ginger boy wasn't able to tell where his uncle's gaze fell.

Them Flash stepped away from the woman's side and walked towards the group of teens. He gave a little nod of acknowledgment to his nephew and said, "Hey, Kid."

"Hey, Uncle Barry," responded the freckled boy. He gave a little smile, still not sure what was going on. But whatever it was, Wally had a bad feeling about it. The vibes that Black Canary and his relative were giving off weren't good ones. The ginger was almost happy when his uncle walked past him. Whatever was going on didn't relate to him. A wave of relief crashed over Kid Flash.

And Flash stepped to Robin's side. He put a hand on the ebony-haired boy's shoulder, finally drawing the kid's attention away from the screen that showed the crumbling of the building as the structure finally gave way, the whole thing collapsing in a puff of smoke and dust that rose out from beneath the rubble when it hit the ground. "Come with me," said Barry gently to the young boy, hoping he knew what to say. If only Kent had just done it...

"Superman said you were coming," noted Robin dutifully, finally letting his arms hang at his sides again, already having seen the city hall building crash to the ground. "Are we going to Gotham? The fire's pretty much already dead and the other buildings are still standing."

Flash shook his head, really hating that he had been the one tasked with this job. He gave the kid's shoulder a little squeeze. "Let's go to the back." And he quietly began leading the young Boy Wonder to the blackest depths of the cave, the plan to be to take him out to the ledge that served as a back door for the mountain hideaway.

Still skeptical of the whole situation, Robin followed, not arguing. Batman had taught him to listen to his elders, with the exception of Wally, of course.

When the Boy Wonder and Flash were out of earshot and out of sight, Miss Martian was the first to speak up. Her voice was tentative, but she knew what she wanted to know. "What's going on?" asked Megan, brown eyes watching Black Canary's silhouetted figure in the blackness. The girl flew forward a bit to stand by Artemis and to see what she could of the situation in Gotham.

Black Canary finally turned around to face the team. She couldn't imagine telling them, let alone wonder how Barry would manage to tell Richard Grayson. So the woman ran one hand through her thick blonde locks and said, "We lost someone in that fire."

It took the team a few moments to put it all together. Gotham. Robin. Death.

None of the teens spoke, but by their expressions, Dinah could tell that they all understood what had happened. The metahuman's gaze fell to the floor. "Batman." Just that one name meant so much to so many people. But Dinah knew that the boy that Barry had walked away with would be bearing another wound by the end of the day.

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><p><strong>AN: Yes, it's AU. So either enjoy it or find somewhere else to go. But it's not AU enough that I feel like seriously panicky over it. I'm not usually one to read AU stuff, let alone write it. But I do like this idea. So review please? Thanks for reading!**

**~Sky**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: It was an accident that I hit the Complete thing for this story. It's a story, not a one-shot. I just didn't update 'cause I wasn't sure how I wanted to do this chapter exactly. But I got it. Time to respond to reviewers!**

**Jimmy Candlestick: It's only AU 'cause I killed Batman. Everything else is completely normal, but it's technically AU. I'll just roll with it, ya know?**

**TwixTheKitty: Yeah, I was still working on an epithet for her. I apologize! I got her real name now, so there will be less repetitiveness (I hope).**

**JakeFL: Um… If I knew what you were talking about, I would tell you that has nothing to do with this at all. I don't own a single comic (yes, I'm such a wannabe), but all the movies I've seen have Dick as Robin. What I know I get from the cartoon. So no, that won't happen and don't worry about seeing any of those guys. I'm vaguely aware of who they are, but they won't be making any appearances. (As in, I _just_ figured out who Damian was, like, yesterday...) So don't fret ^.^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor will I ever own anything. This is AU. Technically.**

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><p>It was hard to watch Robin come back inside, a shell of his former self. It was like part of him had died with Batman. What Dynamic Duo could exist with only one person? Then where was the Duo part of it? The Dynamic Solo just didn't have that same ring to it.<p>

Robin had his arms wrapped around himself tightly, his eyes on the cold gray ground, his feet shuffling, his shoulder sagging, his face stained with faint trails left by tears.

How many fathers could one boy lose? He'd lost his real father so many years ago... Bruce had been kind enough to take him under his wing, both literally and metaphorically, and show him the ways of Gotham. Now that Bruce was gone...

Robin was trying to fight back his tears. He was fighting back with all his strength. He just wanted to be there, to have been in Gotham during that fire so that he at least had a chance of trying to save Batman. He wanted to save his mentor... He wanted to save Bruce... His father... His second father...

There was a point in his life where everything was perfect. Well, two points really. He'd just started out on the trapeze with his parents in their act. They'd been truly incredible, soaring above the crowd without a care in the world. Falling had never truly been a danger. That high point of his life had dropped off when his parents fell from the trapeze. He could only remember their bloody bodies, broken, cold, dead. There were times when he saw smiling faces, but whenever he thought of losing them, a defensive vengeance overwhelmed him and threatened to never let go. He was so ready to get his revenge that he could taste it.

The next high point had come when he had been lucky enough to take up the name of Robin. Finally, his skills were being put to good use. He felt like he was doing something good for the world. He was stopping the Joker on a daily basis. The Riddler was another one of his favorite baddies, always one to pose a good challenge for the Dynamic Duo. He had felt like he could conquer the world behind that mask.

Now being behind that mask was the reason he felt so guilty, so horrible, so weak. He and Bruce never would have bonded the way they did without the concept of being heroes being present in both their lives. Richard was always at school, never having time to be around his father much. Wayne always had another meeting to go to, another woman to flirt with, another company to fund. Their lives had never overlapped until the Boy Wonder's name had been added to the list of Gotham City's heroes. They bonded only over their capes and cowls; it was what had truly made them father and son.

Now he had fallen from that high as well, losing the one who had given him that role, that place, that rank. Batman had been the one keeping him feeling like he was normal. He had always been a bit of an outsider, too smart or too weird, but Bruce had been holding him together, keeping him from erupting. Now that Bruce was gone... Now that he had lost his father...

Bruce had been the one to give him his education, his home, his food, his training... His entire life had revolved around Batman. His entire life. And suddenly, his world was crashing down around him, his walls crumbling. The world was suddenly a scary place, a place of fear, a place of death. Bruce said he'd always keep his son safe. Always. But what about now? Richard couldn't help but feel small in the world.

The boy was walking back into the large room he had come from before being told the news of his father's death. He was holding himself, arms wrapped around his body as if he were cold. Robin was silent, not looking up at the others in the room. He knew that they knew. Someone had to have told them. Black Canary, probably. Dick could sense her presence in the room. Something as big as Batman's death and the entire League was bound to know about it by now.

Barry was following close behind the kid, his eyes dark with sadness. His mask had been peeled back, and his face was visible to the young team. It was unusual to see any of the mentors out of suit, but they knew this was something big. Something really big. "We really are sorry, Richard," said Allen again, wishing he could do more for the poor boy. He knew all that Robin had been through. Bruce liked having the League know just so they wouldn't make the mistake of taking Robin to the circus if there were ever a mission Batman wouldn't allow him on and one of the other mentors was keeping an eye on him. "We were just too late."

It was the first time any of the new team had heard their youngest member's real name. They figured they would find it out now that he was in such a situation as where his mentor was killed. They had never suspected it to be Richard despite all the bets made and all the exchanges of money that had occurred in fighting over his true identity.

There was a long moment where Robin had stopped moving. He was standing in the exact same place as he had been before when watching the fire blaze across the screen. He stood there in his stoned silence, a cloud of darkness hanging over him. His life had been going so well for the longest time... He'd gotten onto this new team... He'd been promised leadership of this new team in years to come... He'd gotten stronger, faster, smarter... There had been such a promising future for Dick, but it had been snatched away in a heartbeat.

First, he felt like he was going to be sick. He wanted to wake up from this twisted nightmare. He'd been in hundreds of nightmares before and seen Bruce die, mostly falling from wires high in the air, but this was easily the darkest one his mind had ever created, not to mention the most realistic.

Then it was the fact that this was his reality. This crashed down on him like a wave of darkness, pushing him to the floor as he collapsed, body not able to take this strain. He'd fought Black Canary earlier and exhausted himself, that was one factor of it. The other was the tragic scar that had been left on his soul and his heart. It was an open wound, still bleeding. It was a wound that couldn't be patched up, not yet. Blood loss had pushed him to the ground as an effect of the emotional scars that his body now wore to show the battle he was fighting, one with himself.

Barry was the first to react to the Boy Wonder's fall. He had sped forward and gotten to him in nanoseconds, but the boy's body was deadweight in the speedster's arms, still crashing to the floor. Flash had to look to Dinah in hopes that some of her maternal instincts could help him take care of the small, broken child that lay in his arms.

Black Canary stood there, but she made no move to help Allen. Instead, she watched, mind elsewhere. How could she be focused on the present when she was more worried about the future? Suddenly, the ball of yarn that was Robin's life was unwinding and someone would have to tend to him with Bruce Wayne suddenly gone. Dinah was trying to figure out what would happen to Robin more than trying to take care of him in the present moment.

With Black Canary not helping, Megan and Wally decided to move in, one having the maternal instincts to take care of the young boy and the other knowing it was his duty to stand by his friend's side in the best of times and in the worst of times. The others wanted to help, but none knew how just as Barry didn't know how.

Megan was doing her best by murmuring soothing words to the Boy Wonder and stroking his locks of ebony, hoping to calm him down at least a little bit. He was shaking pretty badly, and the green-skinned girl was worried about him. She wiped sapphire tears off his pale cheeks and gently removed his mask when it was wet with tears. Robin didn't protest. He was too pained by this woe to protest much of anything.

Wally just stood close, feeling that it was Megan's job to settle him down. Best friends were more there for support than to really do anything. So the ginger stood close with his hands in his pockets as he watched his best friend quiver and shiver with sobs. Never before had Wally seen his best friend's eyes, but he didn't think it matter when he did finally see that glassy blue color. He was more worried about Robin's state of mind. He wanted to be down there with Megan, trying to make him stop crying, to break the spell of sadness that seemed to have stolen his usual smile; but Kid Flash knew this wasn't something to interfere with. He wasn't the brightest of the bunch, but he knew to leave the calming of the boy to Megan. She knew what she was doing better than he did.

It was a few minutes later when Robin had settled down a bit more that Barry said, "I'm going to carry him into one of the spare rooms. Kid, you go on ahead and get him a pillow and some stuff. M'gann, stay with me so you can keep him quiet." Flash was trying to be gentle when lifting the boy off the ground. His arms were getting stiff from holding Richard, and he felt that the young teen needed to lay down properly and maybe get some rest if at all possible.

Wally, reluctantly, did as was instructed and bolted into the dark halls of Mount Justice, finding a spare room and beginning to set up a bed for his friend. It was the least he could do.

Dick, a bit jostled by Barry's movements, let out a soft whimper that Megan immediately hushed, brushing more tears away from his ocean blue eyes. "It's okay," she murmured to him, voice soft. "It's okay, we're here." And once more, Richard Grayson was silent in Barry Allen's arms. Silent on the outside at least.

Inside, he was screaming, fighting, hating, crying, breaking, cracking. Every part of him was torn in a million different ways. He was starting to lose his sense of direction. Which way was up? Which way was down? Left and right, what was the difference? And did any of it even _matter_? Robin was strong on the outside, fighting back the tears that continued to be shed, trying not to cry, trying to keep from completely shattering. He had always tried to carry himself as a strong kid.

Richard Grayson had crumbled, unable to take all this stress. The facade of his strength had been demolished. Outside, he could put up a front of mystery, but inside, he would always be a scarred, tortured, broken child. Now, he'd fallen from glory into an abyss of black darkness, one with no way out.

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><p><strong>AN: Review!**

**~Sky**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wanted to get another chapter of this posted. Still trying to characterize the main heroes properly. I think Barry'll be easy enough. It's Clark I'm most worried about. And Dinah… Joy…**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.**

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><p>The older speedster padded his way gently out of the room. One hand reached back to shut the door behind him, closing the young boy into the darkness. He was met with the grave faces of Dinah and Clark. "I got him to sleep and left M'gann in there to make sure he stays asleep or at least resting. Not sure where Kid disappeared to…" Barry ran one hand through his blonde hair. "Poor scrap… Didn't even see it coming, you know?"<p>

The Kryptonian had his arms folded across his chest whereas the woman standing beside him had her hands on his hips. It was Black Canary who spoke first. "The kids are worried about him." Her blue eyes watched Barry as he went to look back at the door over his shoulder.

"M'gann's in there with him," reminded Flash, pushing past the two other Leaguers. He wanted to step away from the matter for a little while, and he wanted to be able to focus on something less depressing for a second or two. Barry was never a big fan of being upset or sad. Being blue was not part of the speedster lifestyle.

Superman's words made him pause where he stood, his body freezing completely. He went as still as stone. "Where's he going to go?" Clark was standing very close beside Dinah; it was she who had brought the matter to his attention. "Bruce wasn't just his mentor like you are to Wally. Bruce was the boy's _father._"

"He's going to need a place to go now, Barry," added Dinah after the speedster had turned around to face his colleagues. "We'll have to sort this out somehow. Gotham is now left vulnerable without Batman and Richard is left vulnerable without Bruce. He was the one who took the best care of this team and of the boy. He's leaving us between a rock and a hard place."

There were quiet footsteps of Wally approaching that none of the Leaguers noticed. The young boy was hiding just down the hall, listening to them talk. He was concerned that maybe Robin had been traumatized or something. He hadn't yet gotten a chance to talk with his best friend like he'd wanted to. Kid Flash wanted to hear what all was going on, what the arrangements would be for Robin now.

"I know," muttered Barry under his breath, looking to the door where his ears had picked up the sound of quiet whimpers, "I know." He wasn't keen on leaving Richard alone for so long without at least someone to supervise him. Miss Martian was fine and all, but she was still so naïve in the pain that the boy had been through. "We'll look at what Bruce left behind in the Batcave. Taking care of this will require stepping on Alfred's toes for a while."

Clark was also listening to the small boy's pained whimpers from the other side of the door. The Man of Steel hated listening to the hurt that the poor child was in; he has suffered so much so young, this was just another undeserved blow. "He needs to be taken care of right now. He can relax in Mount Justice until he's good enough to travel back to Gotham and settle things there."

"And where do you plan on taking him?" asked Black Canary, eyes finding his form as her arms then moved to fold across her chest. "Metropolis?"

Wally, watching silently from the shadows, could sense the hostility in the trainer's voice. He wasn't oblivious to everything as he sometimes appeared to be; he had taken in the knowledge of Dinah's body language and her expressions. She was determined and fierce at this moment, her stance showing that. If he had been able to see her face, he would've known that it would've contained hints of a scowl and a sneer. She was easy to read behind all the attitude that she spit out at everyone.

"He'd be fine in Metropolis," noted Superman, now growing slightly defensive of his home turf. The city was about the same as Gotham was. It just lacked all of the pure evil that was held in the heart of Batman's hunting grounds. Metropolis was a bit simpler, more easy-going rather than the vicious battlefield that was the streets of Gotham. "Robin would be able to adapt nicely there. His fighting style would-"

"You're kidding, right?" asked Barry, giving a quiet half laugh. He had heard the sound of Megan hushing Robin again in the other room, the young boy going silent. "You can't seriously think about taking him back into the line of fire right after what happened to Bruce, can you?"

Wally could see just a bit of Superman's face. The big blue Boy Scout was almost ashamed. He was as easy to read as Black Canary was for the young redhead.

It was Flash's time to continue after he saw the regret pass Clark Kent's face. "He just saw his father die without even knowing it. That kid has been through Hell at this point. He's been through more than most of the League combined as far as I know. Even more than Batman at this point, and Bruce was hard to beat." Barry's jade eyes flashed with a slight bout of anger that had suddenly overwhelmed him. "If you even want to think about putting him back in that costume again within a year of this, you're insane. He's been traumatized more than you would ever know. You are-"

"Let's stop talking like a couple of kids in the schoolyard and actually get some work done," insisted Dinah, taking one step between the two to make sure there was a barrier that would stop them from pounding the living daylights out of each other. "I, for one, want to check in with the rest of the League. Also, we have to get Bruce out of there before the feds do. That would-"

"Lead them to Dick. Got it." Clark was automatically walking in the direction of the exit from the mountain that housed the headquarters of the new team. "We'll work out the arrangements later." With that said, the blue-eyed Boy Scout disappeared into the black abyss that was the hallway of the large cave. He couldn't waste a single moment in getting to Gotham. If any of the police got to the cowled form of Batman before he did, the results would only devastate the Boy Wonder further.

"I'm going to check on him again," said Barry. He tried to avoid Dinah's icy blue glare as he ducked back into the room that was housing the whimpering form of Richard Grayson. "I'll be back out there in a minute, alright?"

Black Canary gave him a quiet, subtle nod before leaving.

Wally was listening intently for the sounds of Robin behind that door. He could hear the click of the door opening and the gentle footsteps of his uncle as Flash walked in to check on the young, scarred boy. Then Wally's hearing picked up the noise of the door clicking shut again behind his uncle. The boy was listening for more when he felt fingers latch onto his ear and haul him out from behind the corner of the wall he had been using as a hiding spot. His emerald gaze flitted up to stare into the scolding face of his trainer. "Hi," he said innocently while shooting her his biggest, most childlike smile.

Instead of saying anything, the blonde woman just hauled him out into the main room by his ear. She had bigger things on her plate than a little snooping boy. Dinah needed to figure how to sort out the rough patch that now existed between Allen and Kent. Wally was not something she was concerned about.

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><p><strong>AN: Choppy, maybe. I apologize. And if anyone's out of character, correct my interpretation of them. I do the best I can with what little research I have access to. Reviews are much appreciated!**

**~Sky**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I think I've finally gotten over my fear of cartoon Bat baddies. And what I mean is this: When I was five, I turned on a channel that normally had like some happy dog show on at that time, and I see Clayface. Then the Batman theme song comes on. I've been terrified of Batman villains since. Still think I am, in some inner depths of my mind, but I'm recovering. A splurge of the series that once horrified me is actually the medicine I needed… That, and my daily dose of Young Justice ^.^**

**Anyways, that has nothing to do with the story. So just read.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all.**

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><p>He had to have spent two weeks in that room, never moving except to go to the kitchen or to the couch. Even then, he was lethargic, not wanting to do much. That wasn't Robin, anyone could see it. What was most disturbing was the fact that the Boy Wonder, one who almost always shielded his glassy blue eyes, was no longer wearing those dark shades any longer.<p>

Of course, everyone figured they could adapt to something like that, but it was almost frightening when he would appear out of that room and all you would see of him would be his ebony hair and those startlingly sapphire eyes. Superboy was more normal since he had always been more open, but Robin was something entirely different. For as long as they had known him, he had been a secret, a mystery, a puzzle yet to be finished. Now that he was just a child in the ranks of his older comrades, no one could help but look at him as a lesser, yet for some reason, they all knew he was stronger than every one of them. He was still alive after such a traumatic event. That was easily something to rival the rest of the young team. They all knew he was handling it much better than he could've.

Everyone was worried, but mostly the older Leaguers. They knew what the kid had been through. A few of them had known those sort of pains themselves, but none knew a knife so deep as to lose so much family in a lifetime after such attachments.

"Someone's got to take him somewhere," noted Barry as he and Black Canary stayed away in the kitchen while the Martian girl, the clone of Superman, and the young acrobat all sat on the couch, two of them intently watching television while the other was in a fog of misery. "He can't live here forever. Well, technically he can, but he'll have to somewhere eventually." The speedster had his nephew at his side, the young redhead just standing there and listening like the obedient child he was (not). "Alfred said he was still checking on Bruce's will, but that man's hard to track down sometimes…"

"Bruce," sighed Dinah, "was always like that. You and I knew that from the start." She twirled one little strand of her slightly curled blonde hair around one finger, her mind whirling in thought as her hands were kept busy with motion. "But you would think that finding his will would be something easier. It should be, at least. A billionaire shouldn't be hiding his will from everyone. Alfred doesn't know anything either."

Wally stood there quietly, listening, waiting, watching. He was eager to find out what would happen to his friend. Of course, Wally had his own ideas on the subject, but he was going to play along and let his trainer and his mentor sort out what they could before he would choose his moment to intervene.

Already, the young redhead was planning and plotting alongside of watching over his best friend when he could. He was trying his hardest to spend every spare moment that he wasn't doing homework or taking down Central City's bad guys with his miserable friend. Wally could only do things within his limitations, but any limit never stopped him from trying. The West boy had been coming to Mount Justice any chance he got just to sit by his friend as his glassy blue eyes watched the world go by, never caring, never knowing, just living. Robin had become a ghost floating amongst the living.

"When Alfred doesn't know anything, that's when we're in trouble," muttered Barry, his eyes lifting at the sound of the security system announcing the arrival of Clark Kent. Of course, the speedster wasn't one to stop when a distraction arose. "Asking Dick won't do us any good. He wouldn't know." One hand ran through his blonde hair. His mask was off; there was no need for it within the confines of the headquarters of the young team. "Someone's got to take him. He shouldn't go back behind that mask for a while yet, but he's at least got to get back in school somewhere and out of this cave."

Superboy looked over his shoulder. Like Wally, he had been listening on the conversation; the only difference was that the clone had been listening in on the hushed talk with his super hearing. He had picked up the words of Flash, the ones that had dissed "this cave" that they called home. It was more than a cave. It was a mountain. There was a distinctive difference in the clone's mind. But he ignored the insult, realizing that calling the Leaguer out would only get him in more trouble than he was normally in.

"I could always take him to Metropolis," reminded Superman, approaching the kitchen counter that his two colleagues and the younger hero were standing around. "The offer still stands. Metropolis is plenty like Gotham except for the fact that we get more sun." It was a comment meant to be taken lightly, but it made Allen's mouth curve downward even further.

The relationship between the two usually close friend was suddenly strained. Superman was eager to take the little bird under his wing and take him off to a foreign city. Flash had another view of the idea.

The thought was this: if Superman wasn't even willing to accept his own clone in Metropolis as a son, could anyone really expect him to take on one who was used to having a real father figure, one he could be around all the time, one who would know his every thought? How could he expect to take on Robin when he wouldn't even look at Superboy?

Barry Allen saw it that way. Despite how much Dick looked up to Clark, everyone knew that Clark wasn't able to take care of a kid. That was just too much for a hero to handle. Or at least one who had never tried it before. Bruce had adapted and overcome. Superman had too thick of a head to even think about his replica. How would he ever be able to take on the Boy Wonder?

Robin was always a kid who had been able to take care of himself; never had Richard Grayson needed much management other than food and a roof over his head. He'd lived in a circus for most of his life. That gave him a good grip on what was necessary in life and what wasn't. Living with a billionaire may have changed those views, but Dick had always been one to improvise pretty well. Everyone knew that despite Wayne's slightly more adventurous lifestyle, Grayson had lived mostly on his own other than at night when Gotham's Caped Crusader and his protege would come out of their crevices to crack down on evil. That was one advantage of taking the boy instead of someone who would need more maintenance such as some of the other members of the young team.

Part of the League was in agreement with Allen. They all knew that Superman had a one-track mind and that adding Richard onto the Man of Steel's to-do list wasn't going to do much for any of them. It was just something that wasn't going to work out. The only one that wasn't seeing it was Clark himself.

"For now, we have to keep an eye on him," continued Barry, trying to decide whether to ignore Superman or not. "He's been waking up from his daze a bit more, but he'll have to go back to Gotham sooner or later to get his stuff. Even if he goes to one of us, we'll have to work around him. He's not exactly a simple child. There's more going on behind that mind than we know about. He's easy to take care of, but he's got baggage now and someone will always have to be there for him. When Bruce wasn't there, he had Alfred. Alfred wasn't there, he almost always had Bruce. Dick needs someone who can take care of him right."

Dinah continued to twirl that one little lock of hair around her dainty little finger. "Bruce trained him better than any of us would ever know. Whoever's going to have him, in the case that we don't find Bruce's will, they'll have to manage with all of his problems." Her sky blue gaze found the blanketed form of the Boy Wonder as his steady breathing moved the covers that kept his body warm. "He'll need therapy or something. He'll hate it as much as Bruce hated people, but it'll be good for him. Kids adapt better than bats."

None of them smiled. Not at such a grave topic.

"He should have some say in it," added in Clark. His azure stare found the resting form of Robin. The poor kid was just sitting there, his sapphire gaze listlessly watching the television as the image flickered and shone as the show ran on while his mind was elsewhere. "He's bound to have thoughts on the subject."

"Either way, he's going back to Gotham at some point. Until Alfred finds Bruce's will, he needs to be somewhere that isn't here." Barry's jade eyes lit up as his gaze found Clark. "If you're going to be the one to take him from here until we can find what Bruce had to say about it, go ahead."

A curt nod was given by Kent and received by Allen. "Gotham City and Metropolis are nearly the same."

Dinah's lips curled downwards. She looked in the direction of Barry, her eyes giving him a slight warning. She knew that he was on the edge of snapping. The woman knew which of the two would make a better father figure for the fallen bird, but she wasn't about to say anything in front of the man who was capable of crushing human bones without even trying.

"Let me just remind you that if you put him anywhere near his old cape, we'll have a problem." Barry, who had been leaning against the counter, pushed himself away from it and ruffled his nephew's hair, the red-haired teenager giving a big grin. "No one wants him going back to being the Boy Wonder until Richard Grayson recovers. Then we'll see about Robin."

Another curt nod was given by Clark.

Allen moved his hand from his nephew's head down to the kid's back and gave him a quick pat. "Let's move. Your mom'll have my head if I get you in late again. I'm pretty sure she hates me as is…"

"She does," confirmed the young speedster with a wild grin. Neither of the Flashes were slow to leave. Both had bolted within seconds, off to Central City before Wally was grounded for a couple of weeks for missing curfew again.

Dinah, silent but certain, also moved away from the table. She had places to go, people to see, things to do. But she wasn't going anywhere without checking on the little bird first. The woman moved towards the couch and peered over, seeing the raven-haired boy asleep beneath his blanket, his head on a pillow and his eyes tightly shut. His face was peaceful, his eyes still. Black Canary could only be grateful that no nightmares plagued the boy. She tapped the back of the couch briefly before leaving with a heavy sigh.

Only Clark was left in the kitchen, his indigo stare focused on the counter that both of his colleagues had been leaning against only minutes ago. He knew what he was getting himself into. Mostly.

Superboy had been listening. His pride was now wounded at the thought of a human having his idol as a father whereas he couldn't even get anywhere near the Man of Steel. It was painful for him to know that a kid who had already had two fathers would get another one before he even had his first.

But when Superboy's gaze fell on Robin, Megan's delicate fingers stroking the younger boy's dark hair out of his eyes, the clone knew that that bird needed a father more right now than he did. The clone could wait. Robin couldn't.

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><p><strong>AN: I was struggling, but I'm hoping I got the point across. There was one main idea I wanted to get across here and I got it in properly. So review! Thanks for reading!**

**~Sky**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Still working on this. Working as hard as I can to keep this updated. Have another idea for another story, but I can't start yet.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing.**

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><p>It had been nearly three weeks since Bruce's passing when Robin finally left Mount Justice. He was following closely behind Superman as the Kryptonian carefully carried his two bags of clothes and other little things. Dick had his own bag of more personal belongings slung over one shoulder, his head hanging down, not just from the sun shining in his eyes, but because he didn't want to be seen.<p>

It wasn't just Bruce Wayne who had been all over the news in the past few weeks. Everyone had found out about his death in a boating accident where it had caught on fire before sinking. It explained the charred body of the billionaire despite the fact that Superman had unwillingly dropped his best friend's body into the ocean before sinking one of Wayne's prized yachts. All of the Justice League felt horrible about the treatment of their fallen member, but he had been such a figure in the world that a good excuse had to be given. If it had been someone more like Barry Allen, there would have been less of a problem with the press, but Bruce Wayne was a much bigger name.

Richard kept his head ducked low. So far, the newspapers had reported him as staying with a close friend of Bruce's. Alfred's name was being put on everything for the time being. Even the newspapers knew that the will of the billionaire was nowhere to be found. Still, Richard didn't want to be seen walking around Metropolis with Clark Kent. It would raise a few too many questions for the ward of a billionaire to be seen walking around with a reporter. So the kid had a hood pulled up over his head and had his eyes down. No one could see him, that was that.

He had to find a way to get the kid to break out of his shell of pain and suffering. This wasn't the Grayson kid that Clark had grown to know so well. "My apartment is just around the block," said Superman with a glance at the young boy who was shuffling along beside him. "Think you can walk it?" He tried to put on a smile; this kid wasn't making it easy on him.

"I can run over buildings and catch up with a speeding car. I'm pretty sure I can walk a block or two."

It wasn't just his tone that physically hurt the Kryptonian. It was the fact that the kid had actually been rude. Sure, Kent had seen it in him before, but never so raw. It was the way his voice had been completely serious with a tone of sadness in it. The Man of Steel actually regretted saying anything. He decided to keep his mouth shut when asking questions.

It was a long block and a quarter of silence between the two. Dick had kept his head down the whole time, not once looking at the beautiful city of Metropolis around him. And Kent kept his head in the clouds, not wanting to see the miserable boy that trod alongside of him.

A block and a quarter of Metropolis went by as they approached the reporter's apartment. He unlocked the door to the third floor apartment and motioned for the young teen to go in. And Dick did exactly that, taking one step inside.

Richard figured it wouldn't be classy. He hadn't assumed it'd be anywhere near the style of his adopted father's mansion, but it was nice. There was a plush couch, a nice big chair. The kitchenette was small, but it was an apartment. The whole place almost reminded Dick of the trailer he and his parents used to go around in for Haley's Circus. It was peaceful. It was quiet. It was simple. And simple things were what he had missed in his time with his adopted father. Everything had been over the top... But now, nothing was that way. "It's nice," remarked the acrobat as he took a few more steps in, looking around at the rest of the cozy apartment. And it really was exactly like his first home. Just a little bit bigger.

"I'm glad you like it," said Kent, voice holding a little bit of pride in it. For having decorated the entire place himself, he was pleased that the ward of a billionaire could enjoy his humble abode. "Your room is right over here." Clark quietly shouldered his way through the door with one of Dick's bags in each hand. He moved towards the back of the apartment and over behind the couch were a dark doorway was. Using his elbow, the Kryptonian flipped on the light to illuminate a small room with a little bed in it. A small closet was parallel to the bed and a dresser was pressed up against the wall beside the doorway.

Richard had to take a moment to step in himself. His sapphire eyes flickered around the room, drinking all this in. It was smaller than the suite he had had in Wayne Manor, but at least he had his own room. That was fine by his standards. So he gently put down his bag of personal things on the dresser by the door and stood there for a long moment. He had to take in this moment.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted to do with it," confessed Clark as he dropped the kid's bags just inside the door. "You wear a lot of gray so I figured that was your favorite color..." If he was being truly honest with the kid, he just would have said that he had no clue what he was doing.

"Gray's as good a color as any," remarked Grayson. He was about to say how much he appreciated everything when the beeping of Superman's communicator went off.

Kent almost cursed at himself for not turning the communicator off. He gave a slight grimace, not wanting to turn away from the child who was now in his care. But if it was something serious in the hero world-

"Take it," said Richard with one raised hand and a serious look on his usually smiling face. No one had seen him smile once in three weeks. "Hero stuff comes before everything else, that's what Bruce always said." Dick had to fight himself to keep his voice from cracking. "And besides, I need to get settled in anyways."

With an apologetic smile and a sorry look, Superman walked into the main room of the apartment, slipping the earwig into place before taking the call from Martian Manhunter who was saying that Professor Ivo was back at his old game. There was a mission for the League, one that needed serious attention and all the Leaguers to be there. Even the newly forged covert team.

But not Robin.

Richard knew he would be out of the business until one of the bigger heroes deemed him safe enough to put back into his mantle. He wasn't too worried about it. He wasn't keen on going back to that life anyways. Not yet. And he had to adapt to this life. He had to adapt to Metropolis. He had to figure out how he was going to live with a thick-headed Kryptonian and still manage to keep his cool.

Poking into the gray room was Clark's head. The voice of Kent came in less than a second later. "There's a situa-"

"Go," Richard said simply. "Hero stuff first." He unzipped one of his bags, not bothering to look up to his new caretaker. "I'll just see you when you get back. No big deal." Bruce had left him alone to go to adult parties. Bruce had left him alone for business meetings. Bruce had left him to patrol Gotham alone. What was the difference? He had grown up in a tightly knit family. He and Bruce had strayed apart at times but were almost always a closely bonded as father and son. Clark couldn't be any different from Batman.

Without another word, Superman vanished and the little bird was left alone in that apartment. Richard produced two pictures from his bag and placed them on the dresser. One was of him and his parents as The Flying Graysons; the other was of him and Bruce, one that Alfred had taken after a basketball game between the two when the boy had been unable to dunk the ball. Bruce had taken his ward up on his shoulders and let him slam the ball through the hoop to win their little one-on-one game. Dick knew his adopted father had let him win, but what did it matter? He'd had fun. That was what counted.

Dick only unpacked one of his bags.

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><p>It was nearing midnight when the Man of Steel had gotten back to his home. He had walked in the door to find a light still on and a small boy sprawled across the couch, dead asleep. Superman had to look again to be sure that he was seeing this right.<p>

Richard looked as if he had been sitting like that all night. The television was still shining with the image of animals shifting and moving across the savannah. The cobalt eyes of the Kryptonian could decipher the form of a small gray elephant mourning the loss of a larger elephant, clearly its mother. And Kent had to take a moment to turn off the television before quietly rousing the boy into the real world again.

"Wha?" Dick took a moment to bolt upright and stare at the unfamiliar surroundings that he had been placed in. Then all the memories rushed back of his coming to Metropolis. He struggled to put on a brave face and ask with a calm voice, "What time is it?"

Clark nodded towards the large analog clock on the wall. "Nearly midnight."

There was a long silence as Richard took that information in. His sapphire gaze had shifted to the clock and then back to the television that had recently been turned off. "Did you…" He rubbed one tired eye. He'd been used to soaring over buildings with his mentor, but since his routine had been tampered with after the loss of his adopted father, he'd been unable to stay awake at weird hours. Of course, he still woke up in the middle of the night, but it wasn't like he was used to it as he had been before. "Did you just get back?"

A curt nod was given by Superman.

"Okay…" Dick had to take another long moment. "I'll go to bed then." He rubbed his other eye, trying to get the sleep out of it. "I thought you'd be home sooner." The boy shivered as he stood, drawing his arms tightly around him as he shuffled his way back to his room. He didn't look over his shoulder back to the hero. He just made his way to where he would sleep and shut the door silently behind him.

Sighing, Clark had to accept that this was how it would be. The kid would have his quirks and his new father would have to work with it or around it. But so far, it wasn't looking too good for him. There were some things that even a super man couldn't do. Not the same way that a bat could do it.

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><p><strong>AN: I was originally going to add in another little detail, but I guess I'll have to save it for later. So anyways, review!**

**~Sky**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Argh! I swear, this chapter was going to kill the entire story. Sorry if it sounds awkward. Like, I was rereading it, and I could sense that it was off, but detecting what exactly was wrong with it was the hard part. So… I'm still not sure what's wrong with this chapter, but I'm sorry that it sounds awkward.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in Young Justice.**

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><p>The only issue with the lifestyle that each was living was the fact that Richard was left home alone all day while Clark was out at work.<p>

Usually, Dick was a kid who could entertain himself. He'd been an only child his whole life; keeping himself busy was part of the gig. His parents would always be doing a show and he'd be told to play with a toy of some sort or to just mind his manners, that was all. And Richard took pride in his ability to keep busy even in the worst of times.

But it was only the second day and the little bird had been through every tv channel, seen every animal special, already knew that Oliver Queen had stepped down from his mayoral position in Star City, had heard about how Bruce Wayne's will was still missing, had seen Black Canary's epic battle with Amazo where she beat the crap out of him, already knew that Aquaman had gone back down to Atlantis. It was all the same stuff he had seen last hour. Dick Grayson was bored out of his mind. It was only the second day with the Kryptonian. He knew he couldn't leave the apartment, knew he couldn't go out and enjoy some fresh air. He was a prisoner.

Back at Wayne Manor, he'd at least done summer camps while Bruce was away. And if he wasn't at a camp or at a friend's house or busy patrolling Gotham's filthy, grimy streets, he was in the manor's gym, pushing himself to the limit so that he grew stronger every day.

No summer camps. No friends. No patrolling. No gym. And no Alfred. What was a kid to do? Clark Kent had no video games, no weights, nothing for a robin to keep occupied with. So he flipped through channels, unable to keep himself busy. His mind was racing a mile a minute, thinking over things as he flipped past the Animal Planet channel that was showing yet _another_episode of 'Must Love Cats'. And after ten episodes of hearing a guy pick up his stupid guitar and sing a stupid song about cats, Dick was about ready to smash the tv to bits. But what other choices did he have? Almost all the other channels that Kent got were news channels. And all the news channels had were heroes fighting villains and other political garbage that the raven-haired boy didn't particularly care about. The hero stuff just made him want to don his mantle that had been taken from him so he wouldn't be tempted.

He was falling so fast, unable to keep trying to put up this perfect facade of this being the place he belonged. Because it wasn't.

Growing up in a dirty, grimy circus had taught him a few things. He'd learned his manners, and he'd learned how to talk to people without looking like a total imbecile. He'd been quickly shown wrong and right and the proper ways to do everything. His parents had drilled enough lessons into him to keep him a trim and tidy little kid; it was a safety precaution just so he'd stay out of drugs and the likes.

Gotham was a lot like the circus in a way. There were acrobats and ringmasters. There were elephants and horses and flashing lights and bright colors. Hell, it even had a clown. The whole city was almost like it's own big top when looked at under the right light and under the right setting. It was a grimy, dirty place; it was the kind of place Dick had been raised to live in.

Metropolis was nothing like Gotham. It had the finely trimmed edges and the dazzling sunlight to wash over the body of water that the crisp bridge ran over. There was a blue sky every day. Fruit was sold on every street corner instead of drugs and the only people trying to sell their bodies were breakdancers or mimes with hats placed out in front of them as they asked for a little pay.

Metropolis could be compared to Disney World whereas Gotham could only be compared to Hell.

But Dick had been raised to live in Hell. It was part of who he was. And taking him out of a dark, dangerous place and putting him in a place where there were only smiles and the sole fear was of Superman not coming to the rescue only made the boy a tad bit paranoid. Just a tiny tad.

He would pace into his room and look in his closet and under his bed to make sure there wasn't a hidden bomb or something. Richard couldn't get used to the intense calm that settled over everything. He knew better than to get used to Metropolis.

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><p>Superman was never one to give up easily. He always fought and always kept trying; it was part of who he was. So he put all his effort into being a father.<p>

Clark tried to come home early, grateful that summer was in effect so that he knew Richard would always be right there on the couch when he got back. It made the issue of school much, much easier. And Kent was working as hard as he could to try and be a better father to this broken bird.

Whenever a mission came up, Clark would only go if absolutely necessary. Whenever he was called in for a meeting of the Justice League, he would do it by phone conference, sometimes even letting Dick listen in as long as he was quiet. The kid was still bent on being part of the hero life, Kent could tell. He was always waiting for another story whenever Superman came back, hoping for an epic tale of victory like the ones Bruce would always tell about the days before Robin had ever even been considered.

Of course, Clark was an epic storyteller. The reporter business did that for a man. But his epic tale telling only made Richard pine even more for his mask and cape, the two feeling like they had been permanently ripped out of his life. Dick was so desperate to get back to his uniform that he was getting close to begging Superman to take him on as an apprentice. Of course, it would be completely different than working with the Dark Knight, but the boy had to find something to keep himself occupied with before he completely lost his mind to this torture.

But Clark was just trying to get the boy out of his shell again. He'd met the little bird first as an energetic boy with the determination to do anything and the will power that made most people look like a bunch of lazy monkeys. Kent didn't like that that boy had disappeared and that Dick had now turned into the lazy monkey, lounging around instead of doing something spontaneous.

Slowly but surely, Dick was emerging from his shell. He thought less of Bruce whenever he could keep his mind distracted with something else. But the problem of keeping himself busy kept coming up. At night, he did have the habit of crying himself to sleep, something he was ashamed of. It was a sign of weakness; Bruce always told him never to cry. What Grayson didn't know about that, what he never would know about it, was that Wayne had only said it so he would never have to see his son shed silver tears. It was just to keep his ward strong and to keep himself from doing bad things to people who made his bird cry. But Richard would never know that.

Still, Dick had fallen so far. Metropolis and Superman were his first step on the way to his recovery. A single step that would lead to a bound, which would result in another and another until he was once more back to glory. But the journey would be a long one.

Clark watched the child carefully, keeping an eye on him almost all the time when he could be around. But there was one night in particular when the metahuman had to check on the boy. In a few strides, he was over at the door that led into Grayson's gray room; with one hand, he turned the knob and pushed the door open gently. A sliver of golden light was allowed into the dark room.

With that sliver of light, Clark's blue eyes found the sleeping form of Richard, the boy curled up tightly under two layers of thick, heavy blankets. The hero could see the fabric clenched tightly in the child's hands, wrinkles spreading out from that grip like a spider web. And the Kryptonian's azure gaze caught on something else, something that the sliver of golden light shone directly on.

On Dick's nightstand sat two picture frames with a picture in each. In one was a trio, a mother, a father, and a son, all in matching uniforms and wearing matching smiles, a bliss in the picture that could only be captured in a single moment of happiness that would never be known to the boy again. The serene joy of just having family. And the child in that photo, a seven-year-old Richard Grayson, was at peace for the last time in his life; never again would that pure bliss exist.

In the other, Bruce Wayne's torso had managed to get into the shot along with the rest of his shoulders and head. Upon his broad shoulder was a small ten-year-old Richard Grayson. The boy was grinning enough to rival the Joker, and it was clear by the twinkle of laughter in his eyes that he was having the time of his life while riding on his adopted father's shoulders.

That was before. This was now. He'd fallen. The little bird now had to struggle to find his wings again.

The sliver of golden light disappeared from the room as Superman closed the door.

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><p><strong>AN: And if you've ever seen an episode of 'Must Love Cats' (I've seen only one and never want to go back), you'll totally understand what I'm talking about. Anyways, help me out and tell me what's so off about this chapter. I can't find it, seriously, but it just doesn't sound right. Reviews are welcomed and much appreciated. Constructive criticism would be nice too.**

**~Sky**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Been trying to finish this for five days now… Clearly, I've been doing a bad job of trying…**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

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><p>Superman wasn't nearly as bright as the Dark Knight, despite the name style and such, but he knew when something was seriously wrong. There were good days when he could find the raven-haired boy perched on the couch, engrossed in an episode of Doctor Who or something of the likes. Other days, he would walk in and see the kid sprawled out on the floor and staring up at the ceiling fan with a blank expression on his face, clearly lost in thought.<p>

The worst days though by far were those when he'd come home and see just a mere child sitting there with a pillow tucked to his chest, trying not to cry. Those were the hardest times to get through. Clark had no idea how to tend to a child. He should've known that he couldn't handle Richard. He should've known, but now he was dealing with the consequences.

All the Man of Steel could do was give the pitiful boy a look and move on the same way he did with his clone. He couldn't take on a child; it just wasn't something he was ready for. Not yet.

Then there was one day in particular that Superman remembered vividly. He had come home to an empty apartment.

Dick could've hidden anywhere. He was a small boy; it was possible for him to tuck himself away in a closet or curl up in a ball under the bed. So Clark looked everywhere at least twice before giving up. Dick was gone, although whether he was kidnapped or missing, Kent had no clue.

It was two hours later, two agonizing hours later, when Dick walked in with a plastic bag slung over one shoulder and his hood up covering his face. He looked up and saw the Kryptonian sitting there with the slightest traces of concern in his azure gaze. "Hey." He tossed the plastic bag on the little kitchen table.

"Where were you?" Clark's voice held no anger, no fear; his voice was level, calm, and steady.

Dick produced some food from the bag; he pulled out a box of cereal and a couple cans of chicken noodle soup. "You ran out of food." He was quick to put things away where they belonged, putting them in empty cabinets. "I know you're never around for meals, but one of us is still living here."

Clark Kent never thought the kid had had a sharp tongue, but now he saw the child's words as a dagger, sharp, accusing, ready to kill. Dick wasn't alive on the inside, but he was still going through the motions of living. He kept his hood up, kept his glasses on, and had been able to carry on with his life like most people would attempt to. And for some reason, Clark saw this as progress, albeit what dangerous this progress was. The kid was suddenly becoming someone who wasn't Richard. And Clark wasn't about to let that happen.

"You don't want to be here." It wasn't an accusation nor was it a question. Superman said it as a statement, a fact, a truth. He knew the kid's personality well enough to know when he was irritated and when he had other things to do; it almost made Clark think he'd spent too much time with the bat and his bird.

Dick paused as he was putting a box of Cocoa Puffs up into a cabinet. He felt that familiar tug on his heart, that longing to just go back to the manor, back to his room, and hide away from the rest of the world so he could cry. No, he didn't want to be in Metropolis. He didn't want to be anywhere. He wanted to be with Bruce, no matter where that was. He wanted his father so badly that it physically hurt. His stomach always knotted up and his eyes went watery as his heartbeat slowed in his chest. The boy's only response to the metahuman was, "I miss Bruce."

"We all do." Clark's voice was quiet. He hadn't moved from his position on the couch, wasn't even looking at Richard with his sapphire eyes. "We all miss him."

It took a moment or two, but Clark could hear the sobbing of the child. He could hear Dick's tears splashing against the countertop and the sudden thundering of his heart as his lungs drank in air rapidly. Fallen so far... so far from his glory... Superman wished he could drown out the sounds of the crying boy, but he could hear it even as he turned off his superhearing. There were some things not even normal hearing could miss. Like the sounds of a crying child. It was something that couldn't be ignored.

But it wasn't like the Kryptonian knew what to do. He couldn't go over and scoop the boy into his arms and tell him everything was going to be alright. It didn't work like that. Bruce had always been able to do that because he could take Dick back to the manor and give him whatever he wanted, whatever he needed. Clark wasn't capable of giving Dick his father back. So he couldn't take the bird and nurture him. It didn't work like that. "You can pack tonight." Clark's words were terse, firm; Dick never would've been able to tell how much Kent had truly wanted to help. "I'll take you back to Mount Justice tomorrow. Black Canary and the others can decide where you go until they find the will."

Because what else could be done? Superman wasn't about to keep the kid in a place where he didn't want to be. Richard had been a prisoner in the apartment for a little under three weeks now. The arrangement wasn't working out. Finally, the time had come for Superman to recognize it and to take action. He wasn't going to treat the boy like a captive in his home.

Another pause came. Then the sound of shuffling as Dick paced back to his room. There was the slight shaking of the Cocoa Puffs in the box as the young boy carried the cereal back to his room with him. The boy knew he wouldn't be staying for long. He'd been able to sense it. Dick knew when he didn't belong in a place. He hadn't felt like that about Bruce's house, which was the only reason why he didn't run. He'd always felt at home in the circus, no questions about that. But something about Metropolis, something about spending time with someone who wouldn't criticize him… It wasn't right. He didn't belong there. He never had, never would.

The heavy door closed behind him after scraping along the shabby gray carpet before finally shutting into the frame. Richard put the box of cereal down on his dresser before opening up the one drawer he had filled with the one bag he had emptied out of three. His arms scooped up the clothes he had hardly worn and dropped them into the open bag he had left out the whole time. All along, he'd seen this coming. The only question was when. When would he leave. That was all. Now he knew. Tomorrow.

It wasn't his home. Clark wasn't his father, Clark never could be. Superman was too nice. He would never be able to punish Dick the way Bruce always could. That was what drove Dick to do things wrong. He knew he'd get called out at the end of the day, but he knew he wouldn't get that same treatment with Kent. Because Kent was too nice, too easy-going. He wasn't Bruce. Dick wanted someone like Bruce, someone who would pick on him for being a kid, someone who would take care of him because he was crippled on a mental plane. He wanted Bruce. He wanted his father. He wanted his family. Even Alfred would do. Anyone who would let him know he was loved. Getting a few fierce words from his mentor was just a way to know that Batman had cared about his little bird. No one else would punish him like Bruce did; Bruce's punishments were love, in a strange, demented way.

After putting all his stuff into that one empty bag, Richard took his box of Cocoa Puffs and curled up on the bed with a pillow tucked to his chest. He slid his finger under the box's lid and popped it open before reaching inside to rip open the bag. He missed Bruce more than he would ever admit. So he sat in his room with his Cocoa Puffs, staring at the bags he'd had ready the whole time. There'd been a reason he only unpacked one of them. And now he would sit there and munch on his cereal until morning. There was nothing else to do. Nothing else he could do. He knew he'd be leaving all along. Now it was time to go.

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><p><strong>AN: Forgot to mention that I wasn't sure what the Lois Lane status was for this show, so I didn't put her in here. I apologize if you were looking for her or one of the other members of the Kent family to appear, but I don't know enough about them to put them in. Review! Thanks for reading!**

**~Sky**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Decided to do the final update for this before I vanish off the face of the earth for two weeks. I'll have one day to update all my FF stuff between vaca and writing camp. So I gotta get another chapter of this done. For those of you following "Like a Jigsaw Puzzle", it'll definitely be updated on the update day, which should be the 17th or 18****th****. So be patient please.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or any associated characters.**

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><p>Was Wally shocked to walk in and find his best friend sitting on the couch with his laptop, typing away like it was any other day? Was he stunned to find the Man of Steel talking with his mentor? Well, he was surprised to find that he had been the last one to the party. Megan was already making cookies while Superboy stared at the static-filled television. He was late to the party, sure, but that didn't mean he was going to miss out on it.<p>

The ginger made himself at home, waltzing in and leaning over the back of the couch right behind his little raven-haired friend. "You're back," he noted, watching the computer screen over the younger boy's shoulder.

"Yup." His fingers kept tapping on keys. Tap tap. Tap tap tap. Tap tap. He said no more.

He didn't want to press, but his curiosity almost always got the best of him. It took all of Kid Flash's willpower to keep him from asking what went wrong. He could only think of the worst. "So what's the verdict with Bats's will?"

Wally wished he hadn't seen it. He wished he hadn't paid close enough attention. For some reason, he was focused on what would happen to his friend now that something was wrong whereas any other day, he could care less. But when he saw the kid cringe at the mention of his mentor, it physically hurt the redhead. He would never understand how deep the wounds were, how emotionally scarred his best friend really was.

"Wally." It was that infernal scolding tone that Artemis always used. "Can't you at least try to be sympathetic?" She stood beside the redhead who hadn't even noticed her arrival until that very moment. Artemis was already suited up and ready to go for the mission they'd been called for. "I know you probably don't get it, but it's not exactly a good idea to ask those sort of questions, okay?"

"I'm just-"

"You're so ignorant." She flipped a hand at him and went in the kitchen to go keep Megan company. And probably to keep her from lighting the whole mountain on fire, Wally figured. But the blonde archer vanished, crossbow and quiver slung over one shoulder, battle-ready.

He knew he'd said something wrong, but what else could he say? "What went wrong?" "Why are you back?" "Where you going next?" Nothing really seemed appropriate. But maybe he used the wrong name. He didn't know. But saying the right thing seemed impossible. He could only say the wrong thing because there really was nothing else to say. Maybe that was why it was only Superboy sitting there beside the broken bird. Megan would chatter too much; the clone was silent. Staying away may have been a better idea for Kid Flash. "Listen, Rob, I'm so-"

"Dick," he corrected, still not looking up from his work. He was just typing up pages of nothing. Typing up words that would mean nothing. Words that would never be read. Mindless babbling that never mattered. Anything to keep from having to actually look at his teammates. He wasn't sure if he could face the fact that he was in Mount Justice without his mentor. Sure, he'd been there without Batman before, but it was different. He was there _without_ Batman. It hurt to think that this hero life was what had taken his adopted father away. "It's Dick."

"…what?" Never had Wally ever considered his best friend to have a name other than Robin. Sometimes even he had a hard time remembering that not everyone was going to call him KF or Kid Mouth. Even Artemis had the tendency to call him Wallman every now and then because of what had transpired on their first meeting.

Looking up over one shoulder to see his friend staring down at him incredulously, Richard's blue eyes found Wally's freckled face. "My real name. Dick, short for Richard." His stare stayed on the speedster, waiting for some sort of clarification that the older teen would listen to him and forget his alias.

A short nod. A blink of understanding. Wally got it. The other name was a scar, a wound, a reminder of the pain. A reminder that his mentor had been killed by his name. "Dick." The redhead could only accept the change. "Got it."

The silence fell again over the two, Superboy just sitting there and staring at his static-filled tv in his comfortable silence. But Wally hated that silence. Comfortable. No, silence was always a bad thing, and he hated it. He liked being vocal, loved being verbal; talking was like walking and breathing to him, second nature. He wanted to be able to have a normal conversation with his best friend, something fun, something good, something that would be like every other day, something that would help Ro- Dick forget.

But nothing could be said. Nothing. It was all awkward, all wrong, all difficult. There was no way to have a normal conversation. It was impossible, physically impossible.

Retreat. That was all that was left to do. He could only walk away and hope for the best for his friend. They couldn't talk, they couldn't hang out, and they couldn't do anything. For some reason, Batman's dead had a bigger impact than Wally thought it ever would have. So he moved away from his friend and headed over towards the kitchen, leaving Superboy as Dick's sole companion.

"It's…" When he entered the kitchen and knew he was out of earshot of his friend, he was instantly leaning on the countertop, watching the two girls as one telekinetically pulled a sheet of cookies out of the oven while the other sat on the counter and watched.

"You don't know what to say. You don't know how to act. You don't know because you haven't felt it." Artemis had her arms folded across her chest. "We all know it's kind of awkward, but we can't do anything about it. Accept things and move on. That's all we can do until he recovers." Her gaze was distant, but it suddenly focused once more on Wally. "Time heals all, you know?"

A sigh. He looked to Megan who was peeling the piping-hot cookies off the pan and onto a plate before taking them over to Superboy and Richard. Wally then turned his gaze back to Artemis. "I hope you're right," he muttered just as the mountain announced the arrival of Aqualad.

Flash appeared from where he had been conversing with Superman. "Mission time." It sounded like he was excited. Or at least forcing himself to be. "We got bad dudes in Southern Australia. Sound good? Okay, Miss Martian, you take the bioship, somebody go get some coordinates, and you can all go catch the bad dudes!" He clapped and smiled. "Go!"

Five teens stared at him. The sixth continued to type away on his laptop, not even listening.

"That's it?" asked Artemis. "No lecture on what we're doing? No lecture on how to do it? No scowling? We get a _smile_?" Her hands were thrown up in the air. "Who do you think you are?"

"Filling in." His smile vanished in a heartbeat. "Just get going. You all should know what to do. Worst case scenario, call Red Tornado, he'll come save your butts. Okay?" Flash's mind was on other things. "We need to put enough faith in you right now to be able to send you out on your own. You're teenagers and the League trusts you. We don't have enough people right now to fill in for Gotham and to take care of the big things."

"That, and he doesn't scowl much." Wally took a bit of pride in the face that his uncle was taking the role of Batman. Then he looked over his shoulder to where Dick was sitting, still typing. "Dude, you coming?"

Tap tap. Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap. Tap tap. No response.

"Wally," came his uncle's voice as his friends all disappeared towards the alien bioship. "He isn't going with. Just head out."

It hit him like a ton of bricks. Robin was done. Through. No more Boy Wonder. It was over. Wally didn't want to accept it. He wanted to protext. He wanted to get his friend back on this team. The younger speedster's eyes were wide. "He's-"

"Go, Wally."

The redhead could only obey orders. He began to follow where he'd seen Aqualad and the others disappear to, their forms disappearing in the shadows. But it didn't stop him from hearing his uncle for one last time.

"Come on, Dick. Grab your stuff. We're off to Central City."

And a wild grin crept across Kid Flash's face. His best friend? Living in Central City? It'd be like a party every day!

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><p><strong>AN: Last chapter before my vaca. Adios everyone and don't forget to review!**

**~Sky**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Anyone know anything about Iris? I was just sort of winging this. Found this chapter nearly impossible, but I had to write it. Better to get it over with than ignore it, you know? So go on, read it, and tell me what I did wrong in a review at the end.**

**Disclaimer: No, don't own Young Justice. If I did, the show would be started back up again.**

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><p>"It's nice." He still didn't feel quite at home in Central City, but it wasn't as bad as Metropolis. It certainly wasn't Gotham, but he figured he could survive. Metropolis was the equivalent to his version of Hell. Central City was less... perfect. He liked it. Better than Superman's domain, at least.<p>

"It's what we got, kid." Barry Allen carried two bags, one slung over his shoulder and one at his side. "Not overdone, not too tiny. It's like Baby Bear's porridge, ya know?"

A small smile was visible on Richard's face before it vanished. He still wasn't quite ready to go so far as to grin yet. Timid smiles were all he could offer.

After leaving Superman, he felt a bit abandoned. Of course, he couldn't do anything about it. He didn't feel at home in Metropolis. Sure, he loved being with Superman because he was one of Dick's biggest role models. But the fact that Dick never saw him was something that played a huge part in his need to leave.

Bruce was hardly ever around, always a meeting to go to or a late night in the cave. There was scarcely a night when Bruce was at dinner with his ward, but they always had their hero time to bond over. That was the only reason they had ever gotten so close. Superman didn't have that chance. Not with Dick out of commission and his busy days at the Daily Planet and then nights off taking care of League business.

Barry noticed the way Dick was unable to keep up his spirits up for long. "Anyways, Wally can show you around later. You can get settled in at my place first. And if you don't like it there, we could always move you over with him. Things are flexible here, no worries." He looked both ways before crossing the street, only checking back to make sure Dick was still behind him; once he knew the little bird was still there, he continued on at the same pace with the ward of Wayne trudging along behind.

What else could he expect? The kid was a wreck, to say the least. He didn't talk much, was moping most of the time, and hardly acted like the boy Barry had come to know and respect. So he continued on like he was dealing with the normal version of the kid, the traumatic version pushed to the back of his mind. He didn't want to have to deal with this depressed Richard. He wanted the energetic protégé of Batman.

"You've been to Central before, I know, but now you get the guided tour. The second Wally gets back, he'll be like a kid in a candy store. He doesn't have many normal friends around here, so having you would probably save him from himself. And keep him off the video games for a bit, ya know?" Barry pushed open the front door with a shoulder. It'd been busted down a few too many times, making Allen put in one that was a bit like those at a mall. Throw your shoulder at 'em and they open. Like magic.

"Video games are drugs," remarked Richard, a bit of a lighter tone on his voice. He could force a smile if need be. It would be obviously forced though. "Thing is, I'll probably just make it worse." His blue gaze was looking around the house with approving eyes. It was like Kent's had been. Nice. Warm. Friendly. Definitely more used than Superman's had been, that was the main difference. Barry's home felt lived in.

"I figured it was always you on the other end of the console," sighed Barry, giving the kid's hair a quick ruffle before carelessly tossing his bags on the couch. "In the meantime, while our favorite weirdo is out and about, you can meet Iris." The speedster poked his head through a large doorway, looking in on his beloved wife. "You in there, Iris?"

It wasn't awkward at all when Barry turned around to find his wife already fawning over the young boy he'd brought home. Not awkward at all...

"You must be Richard." That was what Barry heard before spinning around to find Iris leaning over to get to the raven-haired child's level. She was smiling and introducing herself in an almost formal way. "I'm Iris, Barry's wife."

"I figured as much-" Because what other woman would be wandering around in Allen's house? "-but it's good to know." Again, a tiny, timid smile crept across his normally solemn features. "You could've been his stalker."

She laughed and then gave Barry look that said "What kind of kid did you bring home?" Iris looked almost fearful. What was she dealing with? "Good point," she said, trying to figure out what to say next.

From what she'd heard about Richard, he was a good kid. Rough around the edges, but a good kid. He was pretty awesome, according to Wally. But then again, what did Wally know? That, and her nephew didn't know this new version of his long-time friend. So Iris put a bit more faith into her husband, hoping that this wouldn't go south for her.

"Your room is this way." She took his hand and led him away, the small boy following her like a seven-year-old would trail after his mother.

It was sad to watch, really. Barry couldn't help but wonder how Bruce took this broken kid into his home and shaped him into a crime-fighter to rival even Superman. To mold a boy from such a battered and bruised clay... Allen could only figure that Alfred played a much bigger part than anyone else could assume. But instead of arguing, Dick played along as Barry watched from the sidelines, the boy following Iris as she led him to their small guest room. He was a good kid, no question about it. Bruce Wayne had been one lucky son of a gun in the eyes of any other Leaguer. He'd gotten the easy apprentice.

Iris took Dick into the room and showed him his bed and the dresser where he could put his things and treated him like he was a little kid. Sure, he was younger than Wally and any of his teammates, but that didn't mean he could be treated that way. Barry found it sickening to watch, but he wasn't going to complain about his wife's behavior; she could do as she pleased as long as it didn't bother Dick too much. If it bothered Dick, she'd crossed the line.

"Cool." One-word sentences were getting to be the norm for him. Nod and move on, that's what Bruce had taught him. Important meetings. Listen politely. Use one word so not to get on anyone's bad side. Then nod and move onto the next one. Training, he realized when reflecting on where he'd learned all his manners. Training to deal with people, to deal with life... maybe even training to deal with this.

Richard swallowed his tears and the sob that lingered in his throat. Bruce had known all along. He had to have known. He was Bruce Wayne, for God's sake! And Batman. He knew everything. There was never a day that Robin and Richard wouldn't learn something new.

Iris kept talking. Barry kept watching.

He still felt out of place, a stranger staring into the looking glass. He was on the outside looking in, a body going through the motions but feeling nothing other than the shadow of depression.

Maybe when Wally got back, he'd feel better. Maybe he'd feel like he fit into the puzzle more. But not now, not yet. He only wanted to feel better. And the only person who could fix him was Bruce. He'd fixed him once and set him back on his feet. Without Bruce... he was lost, stumbling, falling, falling. Recovery wasn't something on his to-do list. For the day, he just had to he continued with his one-worded sentences and his nodding and his tiny, timid smiles.

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><p><strong>AN: Awkward chapter. Sorry. Review? And I need to know something about Iris, so if anyone knows anything, the info would be much appreciated.**

**~Sky**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Blibbity bloop!**

**Disclaimer: No, I still don't own it. Please stop rubbing it in.**

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><p>"He's here, right?" Excited words tumbled out of Wally's mouth, uncontrollable. He was psyched that he finally got to have his best friend pretty much living with him! Well, living with his uncle, but what was the difference? His dad was an ass so he spent most of his time with Uncle Barry anyways. And now, he got Rob- Richard. Dick. Whatever his name was. He got his best friend! That was what mattered!<p>

"He's hanging around somewhere." Barry shrugged while flipping casually through television channels. He knew the kid was capable of taking care of himself so why hover over him like an overprotective parent? Dick was a nice boy. Barry didn't worry about him getting himself into any kind of trouble. "Might be in the kitchen with Iris or something."

About halfway through the word "kitchen", Wally had pelted off with the speed of a bullet to arrive at his aunt's side. "Have you seen Ro-Dick?"

"Rodick? No." She got an irritated face from her nephew but brushed it off. Wally was like that most of the time. He was just naturally irritating for almost anyone who knew him well enough. "But Richard's around here somewhere."

A groaning sigh erupted from Wally as he then proceeded to race to the spare room, the only room where Ro-Richard would be staying. Unless they shoved him into a closet somewhere… But that was cruel and unusual punishment. His mind knew it wasn't going to happen, but some part of him still thought it a plausible idea. "Dude, you in here?" called Wally, pushing open the slightly ajar door. He poked his head in.

Within the shadows of the dark room lay a little blue-eyed child, on the floor, gaze following the rotating blades of the ceiling fan. The boy had his hands folded under his head as he watched it go round and round like the circle of life repeating itself. He'd heard the redhead's voice, but none of his words had really registered. Dick was just intent on his thinking and on the spinning fan. His thoughts were engulfing his senses, reliving all the times he and Batman had put the Joker back in Arkham, all the times Alfred had made cookies at four in the morning, all the times Bruce would make his ward dress up in a suit so they could go out to a lame party that neither wanted to be at…

"Dude?" Wally was half tempted to say his friend's name, but it was still uncomfortable for him to think that Robin had another name. One that wasn't, well, Robin.

A little sigh and then the response of "I'm here." Dick pushed his torso off the floor and propped himself up on his elbows. Blue eyes shone out of the darkness like beacons. "What's up?" His voice was a bit distant, but it was quickly brushed away.

"Tour time!" Pushing the door wide open and letting himself in, Wally reached a hand down to his best friend. "Come on. We've got places to go, things to do, people to see!" A grin was spread across his face. "That, and the park closes at dark. It's gonna get dark real soon so I wanna get moving quick, quick, quick!"

A slight smile appeared on Dick's face. "I still don't know how you guys show up late everywhere." He reached up his hand and took Wally's; the older boy pulled up the smaller. "If you're antsy right now, I can only imagine what goes on in your head when more important things show up." He felt his feet on solid ground again, scarcely a comfort.

"Yeah, just come on!" And Wally bolted, leaving Dick standing there a little confused. How was he supposed to keep up with the speedster? His only ability that was faster than running was swinging from wires on the skyscrapers of Gotham. There weren't any skyscrapers in Central City. So he couldn't keep up with his friend even if he tried. Kid Flash was just too fast. So Richard walked out of the room with a calm demeanor and headed out the front door, figuring Wally would find him eventually.

"He left without you?" asked Barry from the couch as he heard the footsteps of Grayson behind him. The blonde watched as the small orphan walked past him. After seeing the poor boy nod, Allen continued. "Typical Wally. He doesn't usually hang out with anyone outside of school except for you guys. He's not used to having to run with slow people on his home turf. He's usually only with me." Barry turned back to the tv, but continued to listen to Richard as he padded across the room towards the front door. "Sorry that he's… like that." There was really no excuse for Wally being Wally. "It's a habit."

Richard shrugged and shoved his hands into the pockets of his over-sized sweatshirt. He just felt more comfortable in clothes that were too big. Anything too tight made him feel like he should have a mask on to go with it. "I figured." He shouldered open the door and stepped out into the warm air of Central City.

The setting sun lay on the horizon as the young boy perched himself on the top step of the porch. Orange painted the sky. It quickly faded to a shade of blood red that seemed to stain the clouds and the air. Then a hue of purple took over and then the familiar black of darkness. It was only then that Wally came back. "Dude, where were you?"

"Never left." Dick gave a little shrug. His eyes looked over his friend who was carrying four paper bags, two in each hand. "Where did you go?"

"Everywhere. China. Brought you back some tacos from Mexico. Cookies are from Europe. Well, over there they're called biscuits, but whatever." The redhead held out a pair of bags to his friend. "Ready for the tour now?"

"I thought that's what we were doing in the first place," said the small dark-haired boy with an arched brow and a questioning stare at the ginger. He traced patterns on his knuckles to keep his fingers busy. It was soothing, something calming. Instinctively, as night fell upon Central like the wings of a bat, he felt the urge to don his mask and cape to patrol the city.

"No way! I had to get some chow first." Wally was already whipping out his own tacos and shoving them in his mouth with his head tilted sideways. Whilst chomping on his Mexican cuisine, he continued to say, "We can head out as soon as I'm finished with this. I can't do much without food." In a caveman sort of voice he added, "Wally need food."

Another tiny smile from Dick. He took the two bags that had been offered out to him. Then the redhead plopped down on the top step beside the younger boy. "I know you need food, Wally. That's why you keep a stash on your wrist, remember?" The little bird unfolded the top of the bag and procured his cookies before proceeding to munch on them. "Anyways, where we headed first?"

"Well, I wanted to go to the park 'cause I love the park, but it's getting dark, so that won't happen. So instead, we can go to the bank and to the mall and to my house 'cause my house is awesome. Then I'll have to take you back to Uncle Barry's, boring, and show you the park tomorrow. So yay, fun day! Eat your tacos."

Dick smiled a little bit while eating his cookie a little faster. Or, biscuit technically. Whatever. They almost reminded him of Alfred's cookies…

"Isn't Central awesome?"

"Less crime, no Joker, no gym in my house, and there's no cape in sight." He gave a little shrug while watching the sun make its final descent. "Generally, I would say it's boring."

"Yeah, we Flashes don't wear capes. Sorry." Wally downed one tacos before working on the next one. "I think Jay tried one once and it went over badly, so we kind of stopped that whole thing…" His second taco was gone in a gulp and he was working on a third. "And we don't really have a Joker. We've got a Mirror Master though. And some other cool guys! That you're… not allowed to… fight."

A nod from Richard as the last remnants of his cookie vanished. "So I've heard."

"But you want to get back into the business?" asked Wally as he finished off his fourth and final taco. His eyes watched the house across the street from his uncle's place as the lights flickered on and the night was once more flooded in golden light. "Back to being… Robin?"

Uncertainty flashed through the young boy's mind. He could see a few flames flickering in his eyes and that horror of remembering how his father had… But then, he'd helped all those people who had needed him. He'd saved kids like him, kids who wouldn't have parents anymore if it hadn't been for his good work as Robin. He continued to trace patterns on his knuckles; it was relaxing. A reminder that his skin was that of a human. That these emotions were normal. "I… I want to help because I know I can, but…"

Silence hung in the air, not awkward, not comfortable, but just there. The raven-haired child had to pick his words carefully. He knew what he felt, but he wasn't sure how to put it into words. His fear. His anger. His helplessness. His insecurities. There just wasn't a way to express that.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," assured Wally with a soft voice. He unrolled the top of his bag, the one that had his cookie in it. "I won't press." The redhead reached in and held out the cookie to his best friend in a comforting way, like the cookie would make all his problems vanish. Kid Flash knew better than to think that, but he could still hope.

Dick traded his tacos for the cookie. He missed having cookies every day after he got home from school. He missed Alfred. He missed school. He missed his cookies.

He missed Bruce.

"I'm just… I'm afraid that if I try to team up with anyone else again… that…" The boy took a deep breath. Why were words suddenly so hard for him? This was such a disaster… His whole life was going topsy-turvy again, the same way it had before when… "I don't want to fail anyone else. I failed Bruce and I don't want it to happen again." He took a little bite of his cookie. "I can't lose anyone else. My parents… Bruce…" His gaze watched the stars as they twinkled out of the darkness. "I don't know if I'll be able to handle it again."

In a moment of brotherly love, Wallace Rudolph West reached over and ruffled the hair of his small companion. The redhead leaned over a little bit and bumped his shoulder against that of Richard John Grayson. "You've always got me and everyone else. We're your friends and we'll be here for you." A little grin turned the corners of Wally's lips upwards. "Don't forget that."

He was reassured. At least for the moment. "I won't."

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the length. But I liked how it turned out. Some bonding for the guys. That was all I really needed. Reviews are great. Leave one. Thanks!**

**~Sky**

**P.S. And no, I don't know if Jay actually tried a cape or not. Just a fun little detail for the story, ya know?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Pinches of humor in this one. Recovery on the horizon?**

**Sidenote: I apologize for my lack of updating. Massive storms, power outages city-wide. Didn't have power for five days. Just got internet back this morning and power last night.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it. DC Comics owns Young Justice and all associated characters.**

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><p>After a long tour filled with races (that Wally always won) and much snacking (cookies were bountiful), the two were camping out on the floor of Dick's room the next day. The blue-eyed bird was up on his bed with his hands folded behind his head, gaze following the spinning blades of the ceiling fan. Wally was sprawled out on the floor in a star shape, his face in the carpet. Muffled words came out, but none were audible. It was only when he thought that his best friend was ignoring him that Wally flipped over and looked at the kid on the bed. "Are you listening?"<p>

"I can't hear you, Kid Moron." A light grin took over the features of the orphan. "You were making out with the carpet, not talking."

Wally flipped a hand in his friend's direction before letting his jade eyes stray to the ceiling fan. "What are you thinking about?"

This made Dick stare at his friend, sitting up a bit and watching the still form on the carpet. He had been thinking, but how had Wally picked up on it? He was _Wally_. Wally never learned or knew anything. Hell, he was _Wally_. "_What_?"

"You always get quiet and insult me when you're thinking. I know that sounds paradoxical, but you do. You're quiet when I talk and then usually insult me after because you have no idea what I just said." Emerald orbs found the child sinking back into the bed.

"Well you _were _making out with the carpet."

"But you were thinking." The speedster didn't really want to press, but he was right. Curiosity piqued, he couldn't help but prod and pry a little bit to wake the sleeping bear. If Richard got hostile, he'd back down, but he knew his Uncle Barry had said something about therapy and if maybe Kid Flash could play even the smallest part in that, it'd help on a serious scale. Therapy was supposed to help the kid, right? What could it hurt to ask what he was thinking about? Wasn't that what therapists were for?

Silence. Not awkward, just irritated silence. Then the voice came out, "Am I that readable?" He sounded almost upset about it.

Upset mostly because he'd been trained to be unreadable. He'd been trying so hard to aspire to be what his mentor had been. Partially emotionless stone, partially a kick-ass vigilante. For some reason, Richard had only been able to become one of the two.

"Not really," said Wally from his spot on the floor; his eyes found the fan, but he was really watching the uncomfortably shifting form of Grayson. "I just know you too well. We've been best friends since as long as I can remember." One hand ruffled his fiery hair. "It's something I picked up on over the years."

There was another pause. More silence. Only the ticking of a clock could be heard. _Tick tick tick tick tick._"Then why don't you know _what_ I'm thinking about?"

There was a short snort of laughter from the floor. It was enough to make Richard sit up and roll over to one side so he could look down at his ginger friend. Wally wore a huge smile on his pale, thin lips. "Dude, I'm not Megan. Let's not forget there's a reason I'm your best friend."

And Dick sunk back into his new bed, his head hitting the pillow. Not even the plushness could take away the pain. Stuffed bears and fluffy pillows only went so far to help the mourning process... "Fair enough." He rubbed one eye with the back of his hand.

"But I think you're thinking about Bruce." Wally almost said "Batman".

"You _do _know me too well." Richard snatched a second pillow from where it lay wedged between the wall and his bed. It was quickly clutched to his chest, a comfort in the messed up world that he always seemed to get plunged into.

After a smirk had been splayed across the speedster's face and an "I know" had been said with that irrefutable smugness to it, Wally fell silent once more, the sound of the clock echoing through his mind as his eyes found rotating blades that spun above his head. _Tick tick tick tick tick._

A silence lingered in the air. It was a quiet moment more than anything. Richard had to sort his thoughts; Wally continued watching the ceiling fan spin round and round and round. As soon as the fog of misery and quiet had cleared, Dick said, "I'm glad you're around."

It hit him then how much he meant to the kid. Wally was more than a best friend at this point. He was taking on the role of a brother. A brother. And being an only child, this was something new to him, something serious. If Richard was ever planning on making it out of this horrible existence alive, Wally was the one who would play one of the biggest roles in it. This could be one of the biggest things he'd ever do with his life. Saving Richard Grayson.

Thinking that, he couldn't help but have a flashback to that war movie he'd seen, "Saving Private Ryan" and Wally wasn't even sure what that had been about. All he knew was that there were guns and dudes fighting.

"I'm glad you're here." It was the only thing he could say. Wally propped himself up on his elbows before sitting upright. He stretched out his shoulders a bit before moving to stand up. "It's like having my best friend living with me. Even though you're living with my uncle, it's pretty much the same." He twisted his torso a bit to get out the kinks from laying down for so long.

"Wally?"

The redhead's arms stretched to the ceiling, his back arching forward. "Yeah?" He had to get home soon. Chores to do, food to eat. His jade eyes found the kid who was sitting up with a pillow clutched to his chest, looking as pitiful as a abused puppy who'd been left out in the rain countless cold nights. It tugged on the ginger's heart.

"Thank you."

One brow rose. "For what?" asked Wally, a smile pressed to his freckled features. He wasn't keen on questioning this. As a hero, he was usually used to thankless people. But this coming from a boy who really had nothing to thank him for, the speedster found his curiosity piqued to unnatural levels.

"For caring." Because for Dick, he knew none of his other teammates would care as much.

Megan, duh, it was in her maternal nature to take care of anyone within the reach of her mother hen wings. It was Megan. Did anyone question that fact?

Kaldur... Kaldur would care. Just not on the same level. He was the leader, he was supposed to care. It was in his nature, just as it was in Megan's. They shared the leader thing as well, but that wasn't enough to seal a solid friendship like the one he had with Wally.

Superboy was Superboy. No explanation needed.

Artemis. For some reason, Richard found that he could relate to her. Human. Non-condescending. Someone like him. Someone who knew what being vulnerable felt like. Still, she couldn't be a friend like Wally could.

"No prob." And he rolled his neck a little bit before letting out a sigh. "Alright, I gotta run. Haha." The sarcastic laughter was so fake that even Superboy could see right through it without any x-ray vision. "God, that joke's getting old. Anyways, catch you tomorrow?"

"I can't run fast enough for you to miss me." The kid forced a smile, knowing he'd be alone again as soon as Kid Flash left. The thought of being alone again... It scared him a bit. Sure, Barry and Iris were hanging around, but it wasn't the same as a somewhat stalker-ish butler (in a good way) and the ever-present shadowy ghost of Bruce hanging around the manor, visible or not. They were always there...

A smirk. A little salute and then the ginger was gone in a flash, his name only coming out a bit harder. It was who he was. It was who Richard used to be.

Dick, seeing the absence of his friend, the newly carved hole in his life, clutched the pillow a little bit tighter, feeling small again. He was so alone... And after a few minutes of being a prisoner to happy memories long lost to darkness, the boy lay back once more and watched the rotating fan blades. The tension faded. The world was slowly pulling itself back together. Spinning blades made everything evaporate...

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><p><strong>AN: I'm happy with this one, actually… Feels short though. Sorry, but I like what I got out of it. Let's see if we can progress a bit now… Review!**

**~Sky**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I will update this sooner now. "Like a Jigsaw Puzzle" has been finished and another story will quickly be wrapped up. More time for this story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all.**

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><p>"Artemis to Kid Flash, come in."<p>

"Kid Flash, what's up?" Wally tossed a few potato chips into his mouth before laying further back on the couch. This was the life. Capture the Flag with his teammates, Ro-Richard living only a hop-skip-and-a-jump away, and nothing to do but hang around.

He just found it weird for Artemis to be calling him. She was on Meg's team... It was guys against girls today and Wally was slacking because he knew Megan and Artemis would win anyways. They always did. Megan had her camouflage mode. Even with Superboy's supervision settings, the clone never had the heart to ruin the green girl's game by finding her. So Megan always got away with the flag, Artemis only needed to distract Kaldur for a moment.

"Can I talk to you?" She sounded serious.

Wally almost choked on his chips. "What?" he asked half for clarification, half incredulously. Artemis. Talking to him. Seriously. This wasn't possible. When would he wake up from this nightmare? When would the floating ice cream fly by? What about the talking giraffe? There was always a talking giraffe!

"Quit freaking out. Move your feet."

There was a pause. And then reluctantly and suspiciously, he moved his feet off the couch and sat upright, bag of chips still clutched in his hands.

There was a pause and then he looked to where his feet had been only a second ago to see Artemis sitting there in her civvies looking completely innocent and harmless, blue eyes watching him with unreadable emotions.

After his little flip-out moment that involved flailing, a slightly girlish scream, and falling off the couch, Wally composed himself and got up to sit back on the couch, chips that had spilled from the bag crunching under his old, dirty sneakers. He coughed for a second before asking, "How did you do that?"

The girl gave him a glare that was half playful and half annoyed. "I was up in the rafters." She nearly laughed as Wally's first response to this was to look up at the ceiling with fearful eyes. "Megan can win this on her own. I've been rendered as useless as you." She pushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. "But I just wanted to talk."

"About?" Wally offered the bag out to her, the mouth of it facing her so she could grab a chip if she wanted one. Surprisingly, they'd avoided fighting. There was a mutual truce between them for reasons no one knew. Wally knew nothing had been said, but he'd seen the slightest change in Artemis since Batman's death. She'd been less rash, a bit more reserved. She was still rowdy as ever, but it was only when she knew the fights she wanted to pick.

Artemis declined the offer of the greasy snack. "Robin."

One brow raised, Wally's jade gaze suddenly filled of questions. "Why?" He reached into the back and pulled out a small handful of chips before shoving them in his mouth.

"I'm worried about him."

This was the last thing Wally had expected to hear from her. He almost wanted to laugh long and loud. But that would involve more choking and falling. He snorted a quick laugh before saying, "Don't worry, he's fine. We hang out every day and he's fitting right in. Uncle Barry's even gonna sign him up for school soon. We just need to get the paperwork from Alfred and he'll officially be part of Central City!" The boy smirked, clearly pleased with himself for all he'd accomplished.

"That's not what I'm worried about, Kid Stupid," said the archer, that ever present "I'm smarter than you" tone hanging on her voice as she continued, "I'm worried that he'll get attached there and when he wants to come back to the hero thing, he won't be able to work with you two in Central. You're fast, he's not. How would that work?"

Wally was... speechless. Not because he was amazed by how right she was because she was totally wrong in his mind, but because... she had a point. She wasn't right, but she had a point, he'd admit at least that.

"And if he's attached there, he won't be able to leave. It bothers me that he's already off of his home turf and that Wonder Woman and Red Tornado have been covering for Gotham all this time. What's going to happen when they can't take care of Gotham? And none of the criminals there are responding right. They need Batman as much as he does."

"If he can't leave Central for the hero business, he's going to run into a lot of problems," sighed Kid Flash, his agreement reluctant. He hated how right she was. Women are supposed to be dumb: that wad what his dad had taught him. Artemis, breaking all the stupid stereotypes...

"Yeah." The girl now took a chip from the bag even though it hadn't been offered this time. Artemis had been thinking about the bird a lot lately. She felt the need to take care of him. He was just a kid... "I just don't want him to get in a rut. He'll be needed in Gotham again eventually."

"And he won't be able to keep up with me and Barry." Wally just put the bag of chips between them, the crinkling sound filling the air with what he could only figure was what tension would sound like if it ever made noise. "He'll get left behind. And we work as a pair, not a trio. He wouldn't fit. He'd have to leave to do all his hero stuff." This was all hitting him hard. It felt like Superboy had just punched him in the chest. "He'd be screwed for getting his own gig."

"Exactly." Artemis played with a loose string from the couch's fabric. The archer was watching the floor as the soft string twirled in her fingers, moving at what seemed like light speed to her.

"So what do you think we should do?"

It sounded like he genuinely cared about Robin's well-being. The blonde found herself pleasantly surprised by this. Wally. Caring. Almost like an older brother. She thought it would suit him. "I don't know. I just know that as soon as he wants to start up with the cape again, he needs to get out of there and find someone more his speed, no pun intended." She grimaced slightly after the words had come out only to get a little flick of the hand from the ginger that roughly translated into "I get it, don't worry". And she continued, "Another normal person. Like Green Arrow. Or Black Canary, maybe. She doesn't have anyone. And she does martial arts."

Wally didn't want to think about this. Not yet. "We'll sort this out when and if he gets back in the business," said the redhead, suddenly not wanting to think about this. Dick? Leaving? No, not yet. He was still crying himself to sleep at night and eating cereal at random intervals during the day. He wouldn't be leaving for a while. Maybe when school was over... Maybe when he was better... Maybe later... Not now. Kid Flash didn't want him to leave. He was afraid he'd lose his best friend. "Uncle Barry doesn't even want him to get back to Robin. I don't know what his past looks like, but it doesn't sound pretty. No one thinks he should come back. Being a hero killed Batman and I think most of the League is afraid that it'll kill Robin too."

Artemis was a little bit stung at how he had suddenly turned almost cold to the idea of letting go of the kid. "So they're completely cutting humans off the roster? Because that's a good quarter of the Justice League's line-up. Green Arrow, me, Red Arrow, Robin. There are tons, but we're the few that use raw materials and can't fly and don't have crazy stuff. We have explosives. That's the most destructive thing we can do. But the Justice League doesn't want Robin, the only kid who would ever fill Batman's shoes, back on the job? Replace me, replace anyone, I don't care, but he needs this. Gotham needs him."

"He can't go back." Wally's mind was made up. He was siding with the League on this, no matter how much he hated it. He thought he was protecting Dick.

"Like Hell he can't!"

This was her first real outburst since Robin's initial leaving. He could see the fury blazing in her deep cerulean orbs. It was like an icy azure fire that was hungry for blood. She had bolted upright off the couch. "The best way to help him is to get him out of Central before he's settled there and to get him to someone who can train him all over again."

"You don't know what he needs," argued Wally, now also off the couch as he stared her down. They were practically nose-to-nose. He already knew they were at each other's throats. The speedster felt rage bubbling up inside of him, ready to boil over. "You haven't seen him for three weeks! You don't know what's going on!"

"I know that he needs to be back in a mask and that Central won't help." That was her point. She'd said it. That was that. Two-pence right there. It was all she'd wanted to give. The advice of someone who knew how to help the kid better than the rest of the League did. With the words out in the open and her top about to blow, the girl stormed off into the dark depths of the cavernous hallways that wove through the entire mountain. Her lithe form disappeared into the shadows in a heartbeat.

Wally only heard someone clearing their throat behind him a few seconds later. He turned to see his three older teammates standing in the small opening to the kitchen that wasn't blocked off by a counter and cabinets. Superboy was the only one to speak up. "Megan got the flag."

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><p><strong>AN: I always do love Superboy giving a funny and unfitting one-liner at the end of stuff. Anyways, reviews are great, cupcakes are great, and thanks for reading!**

**~Sky**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I love this story way too much.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own.  
>Warning: First part is flashbackdream.**

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><p><em>Bruce was trying to stay awake as he sat at his computer, his little bird curled up in his lap almost like a pet. The kid was "too tired" to walk up to his room on his own, so he'd opted to stay down and wait for Bruce to carry him up. Dick knew his foster father couldn't resist. All he had to do was bat his baby blues and he'd get his way in a heartbeat. "Dick."<em>

_"Hmm?" came the boy's mumbled response. His face was buried in his mentor's chest, his reply more of a buzzing sound than anything else. His eyes were drooping, and his body was sore from the day's work; Richard's mind was numb from all the torments that school posed._

_"Dick, you saw what happened out in the field today." Bruce's voice was hard as stone. It wasn't quite his Batman voice, but more of his Serious Bruce voice._

_"Yeah."_

_Of course Dick remembered. Only a few hours ago, Batman had been strapped to a wheel and was about to be cut open and ripped apart by the team of Killer Croc and the Joker, the reptile doing all the dirty work with a chainsaw in hand while Gotham's Clown of Crime was laughing on the sidelines in his usual maniacal way._

_But it hadn't happened. Robin had swung in just in the nick of time like he always did, giving Killer Croc a swift kick with his steel-toed boots and all the sheer force the boy could muster. He was lucky he'd been able to knock the reptile unconscious or else there could've been more difficulties to deal with._

_The Joker was easier, no goons in sight, all his weapons having been on Killer Croc. It took a few blocked punches and a sweep of the leg followed by a twist of his body and the upward force of his arms to kick the clown in the goodies to knock him to the floor. Then all Robin had to do was give him a good ole' kick in the face and the fight was over, just like that._

_Bruce always knew he had a damn good kid._

_"You're lucky Robin came in to save you," commented the boy with a bit of a smirk, his eyes still half shut with exhaustion as his mind was lulling itself into slumber. "He was pretty kick-a-"_

_The Dark Knight cleared his throat._

_"-awesome tonight." Dick was guilty as charged. He knew he should watch his language a little more often. But be couldn't help but be cocky. Joker /and/ Killer Croc in less than ten minutes? That was almost better than Batman! "Batman's lucky he's got such a great partner." An irresistible grin still graced the young boy's features._

_"Richard."_

_Woah, full first name, this was serious. That didn't mean the kid had to be serious thought. "Bruce," he replied almost sarcastically while fighting back a yawn._

_"You saw what happened tonight. You were cutting it close to the wire." His grip tightened around the boy in a loving paternal way. He hated to bring this up, but it had to be said. A silence filled the air for a few seconds. "I'm thinking about what would have happened had you not been there in time."_

_This time, the yawn did escape. After trying to snap his mouth shut and be serious, the Boy Wonder replied, "But I was there." His eyes shut fully._

_The father tried to keep from sighing. "Dick, what I mean is, what would happen to /you/ if I didn't make it out of a fight one day?"_

_Another silence ensued. Although Bruce wanted to pursue the topic, he knew better than to wake his sleeping baby bird. So he let the child snuggle up and he kept working with one hand while the other held onto his beloved son._

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><p>The child bolted upright, those baby blue eyes he had once flaunted flew open and stared into the darkness. He wasn't sure if he'd screamed or not. All he knew was that his heart was racing and hurting while his mind spun with this sudden memory that had warped it's way into his mind. Bruce asking what seemed like silly questions while the ten-year-old sat on his lap and got arrogant before drifting off into Dreamland. Dick's breathing was labored and his hands clutched at the bed sheets as if they were his only comfort.<p>

The door was opened gingerly with soft, feminine fingers the next morning as the green eyes of Iris peered in to see the little bird sitting upright, hands desperately grasping at the blankets, and blue eyes wide with agony that just wouldn't go away. The door was closed again an instant later, the boy left in the same state he had been in when it was opened. Three steps and she was staring at her husband. "I think you need to call Wally."

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><p>"Is he okay? What happened?"<p>

It wasn't a long run from Wally's house to his uncle's, but that didn't stop it from feeling like it could take forever. Stress, fear, and concern all made things slow down for speedsters. Not physically, but mentally. What took two seconds would feel like a minute. What could be done in a heartbeat would take an hour. It was all in the eye of the beholder.

Barry's voice was reassuring. "He's fine. He's just quiet. We're hoping you can, you know, fix that. You're one of the most talkative people we know."

He could read between the lines: they didn't know how to deal with the traumatized child. Because /no one did/. Wally sighed, "Be there in a sec." At top speed, he took off, faster than a zero-to-sixty roller coaster.

The run felt like fifteen minutes despite the fact it was only thirty seconds. He could feel the iron hand clenching his chest, the nervousness that clawed at his innards, the way his head seemed to throb with worry. Mentally, it was possible to slow down a speedster.

The ginger popped in through his uncle's front door a few seconds after the call, holding through on his promise of "in a sec". Wally looked at the slight skid marks he'd left on the ground and pretended to ignore them. His main concern was Rob-Dick. He hated how he couldn't keep it straight!

"Found him like that about an hour ago. Your uncle tried to talk with him, but he just wouldn't respond right." Iris was leaning in the doorway and staring at the raven-haired boy who sat on the little bed, looking more alone than Wally ever thought possible. "Right now, Barry's out grabbing some cookies and cupcakes, but we were hoping you'd come up with something to snap him out of it. We figured food would be a last resort."

Alone. Wally never thought he'd see his best friend like this. Broken. Cold. Tired. Alone. Was this even Robin? They were the same body, the same person, but what about his heart and his mind? Had losing his mentor warped those? "I'll see what I can do." Because there was no guarantee that this would snap him out of it.

One step into the room and Dick didn't move. A second step, nothing. A third step got the same result. Two more steps and Wally was standing by the side of the bed. "Hey." Start simple, keep it simple. Maybe that would help. Maybe take a slow approach and he'd evoke something inside of the kid. Wake him up from this bad dream and snap him back to the real world.

Silence, pure and cold. The boy's eyes didn't move; his fingers remained clenched. His knuckles were white as snow. Icy snow.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Wally sat on the edge of the bed. He saw Richard shift a bit, weight moving along with the bed as the ginger sat. His eyes stared off into space, a gray haze covering them.

Still no response.

"Dick?"

A question. Asking. For him. His name. One word. With a question mark. Not Bruce. His body was numb to the outside world. He was still reliving those few moments he could remember. Snuggling into Bruce's chest; feeling smug with himself for being his father's hero; so tired he could hardly speak; the sound of Bruce's voice, a voice he would never hear again...

"Richard."

He snapped. He couldn't do this. This wasn't going to work. He needed his father. He needed someone who could guide him. He needed Alfred. He needed a friend. He needed a hero of his own. He needed Bruce. He needed his father. He needed John. He wanted comfort. He wanted warmth. He needed Mary.

Wally just felt the arms of Richard Grayson latch onto him, wrapping tightly around his neck and holding on as if for dear life. It was only the second time Kid Flash had ever seen his best friend cry.

Fists balled up in the back of Wally's shirt and tears racing down his pale cheeks, Dick was desperate for someone, anyone, to hold onto him. He always did something wrong. He wasn't there for his parents. He wasn't there to save Bruce. And with his moment of reflection, he wasn't there to listen to what his father was trying to tell him. Maybe he would be with Alfred right now or in a hidden bomb shelter, away from the rest of the world. If only he knew what Bruce would've said... If he only knew...

The pain felt like gunshot. He wanted to collapse and die. This was real. It was so painfully real-

"I'm right here." The words were whispered as Wally tried to be the best brother he could, taking Grayson into his arms and holding him. Just holding him. Just trying to help. "I'm here, not going anywhere, I promise." The ginger pulled his friend close. "I've got you."

He wasn't cut out for this. He couldn't do this. He was a hero, not a babysitter! Some part of Wally was screaming for him to just take care of Dick, but part of him knew that no matter what happened, this problem couldn't be fixed with any amount of cookies and hugs. The redhead wasn't stupid: they needed Bruce back.

But he wasn't coming back.

He was practically choking on sobs as tears dripped into his mouth and ran warm down his neck. "I mi-mis-ss-ss hi-im." The words were hiccupped and strained as if it were hard for him to admit. It was obvious that this wasn't going to work. He needed someone who could make it better.

Batman was always the one who knew everything.

Wally said nothing. He let his grip on Dick tighten, trying to provide comfort the best he could.

"Brought the cookies," came Barry's hushed whisper from the hall as he stood watching his wife quietly peer in at the two boys, one clinging to the other while the other was desperately trying to mend the bloody wounds and disgusting scars.

Irreparable.

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><p><strong>AN: I'm building up to something. Be patient with me. And yeah, Barry was tardy to the party. Review!**

**~Sky**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Yeah, another chapter. Call me crazy. This one may seem a little… different than all the others, but it does fit in with the continuity that I'm going for.**

**Sidenote: I loved this review. music-is-luv commented that she's waiting for Batman to pop up and be like "Hey, guys! Robiiiiiin, what up, big dawg?" This got me cracking up because A) that's not how Batman talks, and B) because he's dead. I'm not sure how much more clear I can be with you people. D-E-A-D. Capiche? And thank you to music-is-luv for my laughs of the day ^.^**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own.**

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><p>Barry's train of thought was this: if Wally, a friend, could help, what could a whole team of friends do?<p>

Sure, taking him back to Mount Justice was a bad idea, but come on, he needed a place where he could hang out with the others and a place where he could still feel at home and not threatened. It was the home of heroes, but still, it was where all his friends would group and hang out. Why would taking him there be such a bad thing?

Well, there was a long, long list of reasons, but Barry figured worse things could happen to the bird.

"Robin!" was Megan's immediate cry as she saw the young boy walking in with his hands shoved in his pockets and his sunglasses over his eyes. Because she still couldn't quite get it right. Richard, not Robin. Dick, not Robin. The girl immediately put down her plate of hot cookies and floated over to where the child stood, a big, welcoming smile plastered on her face.

Superboy looked over from his position on the couch. Uninterested, he looked back at the static-filled tv screen.

"Hey, Miss M," said Dick with a bit of a timid smile; he responded to Megan's massive hug with a one-armed return hug as he tried to keep from being strangled. "Good to see you again."

It really was good to see her again. He'd been in school a month now. He'd been working out all his issues with Wally as his therapist; instead of taking notes, the speedster was spending all his listening time drawing pictures that would make his friend laugh. Because laughter was the best medicine, right? In all that time, Richard had missed his friends and spending time out of the house like a normal kid.

"Is Wally with you?" asked Megan, her head tilting to one side as she looked a little past him, wondering where her fellow ginger was today.

"School." The only reason Dick was out was because he had one day off every week for therapy sessions and resting time. Stupid school, treating him like a little kid. The nerve they had... If they only knew the half of it... "It abducted him and whisked him off for learning purposes." The boy cracked a genuine smile. He was feeling better than he had in a while.

The nightmares had gone away a little bit. It was still every night, but he wouldn't wake up screaming anymore. Just terrified. No one knew. It was fine.

Wally was now living with Barry. He and Dick were sharing a room, one bed against one wall, another against the adjacent wall. They didn't chatter into the night like girls at a sleepover, but they did talk a lot. About family. About the team. About Richard. About Robin.

And with school, Dick had more time to keep himself distracted. Keeping himself away from the painful memories was the key to making it through. Distractions, that was what he needed.

Everything was going just fine. He just had to get his life back on track and everything would be fine again.

Megan gave a little giggle before floating off to the kitchen, Dick following close behind, figuring she had a good reason for just leaving without warning. He wouldn't question. He would just follow. It was something he'd picked up from-

"Try a cookie?" offered the Martian girl with that same warm smile and holding the plate out to Dick. "I tried gingerbread today." She was clearly proud of herself for this, the confidence in her voice a bit obvious.

"Gingerbread are more for wintertime," remarked the boy as he took one of the cookies, "but I'm not complaining. Alfred never made them enough for me." He smirked as he took a bite.

Man, did he miss having cookies every day...

Barry scampered on into the cave. His green eyes found Superboy who was just looking away from the newcomer, again uninterested, before settling on M'gann and Richard in the kitchen. He zipped on over to the two and immediately ruffled Dick's hair. "Hey, kid, I'm gonna jet. You good here?"

Another bite of his cookie and a nod. "I'm good, Uncle Barry."

Flash ruffled the thirteen-year-old's hair a little bit more before bolting off again to go get his job done. Forensic science didn't do itself...

"He isn't your uncle," noted Megan, looking after Flash before looking back to Richard who was reaching for another cookie. Her brow was furrowed slightly, confusion rippling across he'd features.

"Nope. But's he's like an uncle to me." Richard again chomped down on the latest cookie. Crumbs on his face and his eyes looking around for any changed, he swallowed and asked, "So who all's around today?"

Megan put down her plate and began to count on her fingers. Even though she really didn't need to. "I'm here. And Superboy's here." Her heart gave a little extra flutter as the clone looked up at his name. Uninterested, he went back to staring at the screen. "And Artemis is here. Somewhere." The green-skinned girl shrugged and rolled her eyes in a "What can we do?" sort of way. "Kaldur is in Atlantis taking care of some business with Black Manta."

"Ah." Robin jammed the cookie in his mouth and held in in his front teeth for a moment before boosting himself up to sit on a counter. Then he took the cookie again and continued to eat. "And what have you guys been up to?"

Needless to say, he was still curious to see what was going on the business. It was something he couldn't forget about. He was being shuffled between Justice League members, for crying out loud, how could he forget about the hero world? It was always there, hanging over his head, lingering just out of his reach. He wasn't planning on going back to it yet; the idea was just a thought, just a tiny little thought.

"Took care of some issues in Hong Kong, dealt with a mind-controlled Blue Beetle, managed to successfully save a sinking ship without being spotted, and stopped an uprising of a drug cartel in South America." Megan watched as Richard took another one of her cookies and promptly began to eat it. She was glad he liked her cookies. "So not much, really. But Superboy and I started school! I'm a cheerleader," she continued, now feeling free to rant about her life. "Superboy made a friend."

"That's surprising," laughed Robin curtly as he shot a look at his blue-eyed friend. He heard a snort from the other room and then silence. The clone clearly wasn't going to pursue that discussion any further.

"And we've been doing really well." Her smile was a bit contagious. She noticed that he was smiling too, maybe a bit less, but still smiling. "We even have a team pet."

"My pet," came Superboy's voice from the couch. "Mine."

"He's kind of overprotective of it," murmured M'gann with a giggle as Richard's grin grew wider.

"That's great for you guys," said Dick as he picked up another cookie. He missed having cookies. Yeah, Barry and Iris bought the little suckers all the time, but there was no comparison between those and the hot, freshly baked cookies that you're not supposed to eat because they'll burn your mouth. It's just not the same.

"And how have you been?" asked the green girl politely, hoping she wasn't prying. She really didn't want to pry. He was a good kid who deserved a better life but had always gotten the bad end of the stick. She kept wearing that big, warm smile of hers, brown eyes glittering.

"Good," said Dick after swallowing another bite of gingerbread. "Wally moved in a little while ago. He and I are in most of the same classes, too. Except for I actually do my homework." He took another bite of cookie. He really missed her cookies... "And things are getting a little bit easier. Iris and Barry are really nice and everything and I get taken care of. It's all good."

There were a lot of up-sides to this new life. More time with an actual family. More time for school. More sleep, definitely, although whether that was a curse or a blessing, he wasn't sure. And he got to hang out with Wally more. It wasn't bad.

But still, he missed Bruce, he missed the manor, he missed Alfred, he missed the Batcave, he missed his room, he missed his bed, he missed Gotham, he missed fighting crime-

"Is that Dick?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of a certain archer's voice. He looked up to see another one of his former teammates coming forth. "Hey, Artemis."

She had a towel thrown over one shoulder and a little sweat dripping down her face. A long hour of martial arts training had left her in a tired state, but she was still putting on a smile. "Long time, no see," she said, a little out of breath. Her blue eyes were looking up at him where he sat on the counter.

"Been a little busy with school," said Dick as he offered a cookie to Artemis; the archer took it. Megan still couldn't get over the fact how much everyone loved these cookies! "I only got today off for my therapy stuff. But I'm blowing it off. Barry says I can deal with stuff better on my own."

Artemis let one eyebrow raise a little bit before shaking the comment off. She just resumed talking as if it were a normal conversation. "I'm off today for Dent Day." She shook her head. "Stupid holiday, corrupt politician shit... Yeah, I'm off of school, so I really don't care."

"Superboy-" Once again, the clone looked up. Finding he didn't care, he looked to the screen again. "-and I have the day off for a school improvement day." Megan smiled again. She smiled a lot.

"So therapy, huh?" asked Artemis, boosting herself up on the counter a little ways away from Dick. "Any fun?"

"We talk about feelings and I get coloring books. Sound like fun?"

Megan loved coloring books, but she knew what sarcasm was and kept her mouth shut.

Artemis gave her snarky smirk. "Don't you just hate that?" asked the blonde as she took another cookie from the plate that sat between her and the raven-haired child.

"Yeah." He took another cookie for himself and began to munch on it. "So what's everyone doing today?" he questioned after gulping down gingerbread.

"I was going to make more cookies," announced M'gann as she looked at the now nearly empty plate. "It looks like I have to now." And she moved towards the refrigerator to get back to work.

Robin shrugged and reached for another, planning to horde them if push came to shove. What he wouldn't give for fresh cookies in Central City...

"I just wrapped up some tae-kwon-do practice," said Artemis. "I was planning on asking Superboy if he wanted to spar with me." Her blue eyes looked towards the couch where the Boy of Steel was sitting with his bored face and his bored temperament of the day. "But I'm not sure if he'll want to."

"No." That was the clone's blunt response.

The archer took a moment to sigh and blow a stray blonde lock out of her eyes. "Well, that's out the window." She looked to her left only to find that it was void of the boy who had been there only a heartbeat ago. Her azure gaze widened in fear. "R-"

"Are you coming?" asked the boy as he shrugged off his jacket while walking towards the training pad, sunglasses being shoved in a pocket. He glanced over his shoulder to see her moving slowly. Who was he to pass up an opportunity to just hang out with his friends? This was his normal day… or at least what used to be normal. Before things started to… spiral… out of control… He missed training for hours on end, he missed having his fist punch something human, and he missed being able to hide behind the fighting, just being able to hit something and forget about everything else.

She wasn't sure what he was thinking, but who was she to deprive a child of what he wanted? He hadn't even asked, just done. In a Robin-esque way, of course. So Artemis took in a deep breath and followed, pulling gloves out of her pockets and over her fingers for padding. She didn't want to hurt the kid.

"Let's go," he said, now in a white t-shirt and his usual skinny jeans. His fists were up and those sapphire eyes were ready for anything, his face suddenly harder and his appearance went from child to hero once more.

Artemis knew he never should've left.

The girl threw the first punch, which his forearm caught and moved aside while kicking a foot at her knee. She barely managed to bend the leg in time to avoid him, but she did receive a nice knock to the back of her head; the raven-haired ward had used her own extremity against her, her hand smacking into the back of her head as he moved around her in a fashion of almost tying her up. His free hand clasped her other arm and pulled it tight behind her back, her elbow bent at a bad angle and his grip tightened on her other arm, pulling that behind her as well.

She pushed up, legs moving her upward and back. She heard an "Oof!" and the sound of swishing fabric against the floor. Turning around, she saw him rising up from a somersault and turning on her, fists ready once more and eyes set with determination.

"You haven't lost your touch," remarked the blonde as she charged forward and dropped low as his fist tried to connect with her face.

"Never will." He felt a hand on his ankle and quickly twisted to step on the arm it was attached to. A cry of pain came from the archer and Richard got to pull his leg away and do a quick backflip. She wouldn't lay another finger on him if he could help it.

Artemis, now with a little fire in her, surged forward; she still hadn't learned her lesson.

With one swift movement to a side and a missed left hook from the archer, Dick landed a kick on her back, sent her sprawling to the floor, and put his foot between her shoulder blades. "Checkmate."

A sharp bark came from the other side of the training pad. "Richard, let her up."

At Black Canary's command, Dick moved his foot and reached down to help the archer up. "She's fine, don't wor-"

"What was Allen thinking? Bringing you here?" Her arms were folded across her chest and she was glaring at the boy as if he knew what he'd done wrong. Dinah's glare was as hard as steel as she watched Artemis get hauled up off the ground by the acrobat. "He's such a fool. He should know better than to bring you back."

"But Canary, I'm fine," he said, looking at her with desperate eyes that screamed "Don't make me go home, don't make me go home, not yet, please don't make me go home". "She didn't hurt me and I didn't hurt her, it's not a pro-"

"Dick, you're not supposed to be here. We don't want you training or having this sort of influence."

Artemis was a bit offended by the unsaid remark of her being a bad influence.

"We want you to just be a kid again." Dinah was standing in front of Richard before he could fully comprehend what was going on. "The whole League is backing this up. We want you to be a kid as long as you can. Find something else." Her eyes were still hard. "You lost your childhood once, we're trying to help make up for it. If you can't find another career path, you can come back, but we don't want-"

His eyes were wide and afraid. Without the sunglasses as his shield, his soul was readable. "You can't-"

"Richard."

He was feeling good, better than he had in a while. Fresh cookies, a good fight. He lashed out.

She grabbed his arm, twisted it backwards and held him against his will, one arm around his neck. "Not up for negotiation, Dick. It's just you against the League, and we all know that's not a fight you can win."

Artemis was staring after him as the blonde heroine carried him away. If she just hadn't mentioned fighting or training, maybe-

"I just put the cookies in the ov- Where's Black Canary taking Robin?" Megan stared after the thrashing boy and Dinah. "What happened?"

"The League doesn't want him back."

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><p><strong>AN: Now you know. He wants back, he isn't getting back. Even tried to punch Black Canary. Pretty badass for a former Robin, am I right? ^.^ Anyways, sorry that the end seemed kind of rushed. It just felt better writing it that way. Less detail, more dialogue. Reviews are welcomed with open arms!**

**~Sky**

**P.S. Yeah, I know Superboy was being a jerk. Yes, there's a reason behind it.**

**P.P.S. Sorry if Dinah was a little OOC. She just seems to me like a badass Momma-figure so that's the way I portray her.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Short, but I got what I wanted in. Next chapter will involve more character interaction with someone else we all know and love…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Sorry.**

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><p>Wally, once more on the floor of Dick's room, watched the ceiling fan blades spin round and round. He didn't want to be blunt, but he did have to ask it eventually. He wasn't going to let a stupid rumor spiral out of control in his mind if his best friend could be the instant judge on the situation. Sometimes, the speedster's mind could blow things completely out of proportion. "So, I heard you tried to take down Black Canary."<p>

Immediately on defense, Dick clutched one of the two pillows tight to his chest, fingers digging into it. "Did you know that the League's not taking me back?"

Quiet. Wally's emerald gaze followed the blades as they spin clockwise. Spinning, spinning, just spinning, spinning. He didn't want to answer Dick. Why would he? He knew the answer, to a certain extent. He'd overheard his uncle and aunt talking some things over. A lot of things, actually.

Dick's future.

Robin's future.

Bruce's will.

The kid wasn't stupid. He sat upright and looked down at his friend who had his hands folded neatly on his chest and whose eyes just simply followed the rotation of the blades. "You knew, didn't you?"

Now it was Wally's turn to play defense. "I know that Uncle Barry doesn't want you back for a while, but he said maybe in a few yea-"

"They mean forever, Wally."

This made the ginger pause and think for a moment. He'd heard "career" and "no more" and "Clark doesn't want" and "better off" and "retire from hero" and "Bruce would want him safe", but he hadn't put the pieces together that his uncle had meant that Dick would have to hang up his cape for good. Wally's mouth started moving, but no words came out for a long time. He was staring blankly at the fan, his eyes seeing other images. "I didn't know they meant for good..."

"They don't want Robin anymore."

With one swift motion of arching his back and then throwing his weight forward, the redhead was sitting up and staring at the closed door that sealed them in the room. "They can't do that..." He ran his hands through his hair and along his freckled face. Jade eyes didn't stray from the door. "That's like taking away your sanity."

Dick brushed off the remark (despite how true it was) and let his grip on the pillow loosen; after all of Barry and Iris's hospitality, he couldn't destroy one of their pillows. "And it's who I am."

Wally wanted to at least attempt to defend his uncle's actions. The League knew at least a little bit of what they were doing. "They're just trying to keep you safe, you know. They don't want you getting hurt, relapsing, other bad stuff." His gaze now found his friend who wasn't looking at him; Dick's azure eyes were on the pillow in his hands. "They're trying to take care of you because you're a kid, and-"

"I'm not a kid."

Taken aback by how strong his voice sounded, Wally had to pause. He didn't know what to say for a minute. He still had to try and help Dick see that going back so soon was a mistake. "You grew up too fast."

"That's what happens when you watch your parents die."

Strong voice, fearless eyes, remorse lingering in every bone in his body. He knew he couldn't save them even if he tried. He knew. But part of him always wished he would've fallen too.

Wally went quiet again. He didn't know what to say to that. He understood. Losing people and going into an orphanage for five months, then going to live with a billionaire only to find he's really a secret superhero and- No, Wally would never understand it. He knew the facts but not the emotions they held for the little bird.

Dick's eyes burned.

"You don't want to go back to it now, do you?" Wally hated asking it, but he had to. He needed to make sure he knew which side he wanted to defend before he turned his back on family or friendship. "Back to being Robin, I mean. You don't want to go back so soon, right?"

His voice seemed to falter. Robin. There was no Batman in that equation. Going back to Robin would mean going back to Gotham and going it alone, no back-up, no help. He knew that if he ever got captured, his father wouldn't come to his rescue. He would also have to stay in Gotham. No manor. No home. The streets? No, he'd need the Batcave. Batcave, Batmobile, Batman... It all traced back to Bruce. Bruce who'd trained him, Bruce who'd raised him, Bruce who'd helped him, Bruce who'd loved him, Bruce who'd saved him. Bruce. Who was now dead.

And what was a bird without a bat?

The thought of patrolling solo made his insides turn to mush. He almost felt like he was going to be sick. A world where Robin lived without Batman... It would be like living in Hell.

The Joker would think his little act was a joke, Penguin would simply laugh before flying away without even trying to do anything evil, and Two-Face would just make his usual remarks on how flipping the coin would decide whether a stupid sidekick was worth his time. None of them would care to fight a bird. They all wanted to fight the bat, the real thing, Gotham's Dark Knight, the Caped Crusader.

The Boy Wonder meant nothing without his mentor to pose a challenge.

Maybe he didn't want to go back after all.

Reading the signs, Wally was quickly up and sitting on the edge of his buddy's bed, immediately taking the kid into his arms as Dick began to cry. That's what best friends, no, brothers, were for. Wally sat there for two hours just holding Richard. He couldn't do this all on his own. There was no way to find a cure without help. Not when the disease was this bad.

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><p><strong>AN: Review!**

**~Sky**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: One chapter yesterday, one chapter today. It's a rare occurrence.**

**Timeframe Note: This part of the story chronologically goes Chapter 14, Chapter 16Pt1, Chapter 15, Chapter 16Pt2. Just to get it straight. And Pt2 is set moments after Chapter 15. Sorry if this is confusing. You'll understand the different parts after you read it and why I did it this way.**

**Sidenote: I'm not strong in writing Wonder Woman, so please bear with me…?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

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><p>"I still don't see why Alfred can't-"<p>

"Because Alfred's a bit of a pushover."

Five Leaguers sat around the massive table: Black Canary, Flash, Superman, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman, the five most involved with the relocation of the Boy Wonder.

"No he is not," defended Diana a bit protectively. She looked to Clark for confirmation to see the Man of Steel give a curt nod in her direction. "He is a strong man. He raised Bruce, didn't he?"

"Alfred would take the best care of him, no question," said Barry, still intent on this, Green Arrow agreeing with him. "But the issue with that is the fact that Dick would have access to the Batcave if he were in Gotham and the fact that Alfred couldn't do anything to stop Dick if he ever did want to go back. It's _Robin _we're talking about. Baby blue eyes, irresistible pout, annoying until he gets his way." He knew so much about Dick that it almost scared him. "We all know how he is! Hell, if Alfred raised Bruce, the League raised Dick!"

No one argued about that. A few eyes strayed to the table while others flitted to find points on walls that suddenly seemed interesting. Because Barry was right and no one was going to admit it.

Clark always knew he was a role model. Whenever he was around, the kid would be hanging onto _him_ cape and pestering _him_instead of his mentor. And God what a feeling it was. He was practically a father to the child and yet he'd failed to actually do something for the blue-eyed boy. A role model turned failure. His shoulders sank a bit.

She'd helped Bats train him. Martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, how to work a bow staff, the basics of crime fighting. That'd been her. Canary had showed him things that an acrobat could do but a burly Knight couldn't. Dinah remembered how awed he could be by what she showed him: every flip, every punch, every slice of a weapon through the air, oh, she remembered how his eyes glowed and how his jaw would just drop. Barry was right. She'd raised the kid as much as anyone else had.

On any given day, Dick could be found in the Allen household playing Barry's array of video games with his favorite ginger at his side. He remembered walking in from a long day at work to the sounds of "GAME OVER" or "You cheated! I'm telling Aunt Iris!". Dick had practically lived in Flash's house for all these years the kid was coming up on fourteen and he'd been at the job for a little under six years... That was six years of living at Barry's house, the little bugger. And he missed those days, the way Wally and Richard would always be trying to kill each other whether virtually or for real. He missed it.

Green Arrow shifted. First time Dick had been to his house, the first thing he'd done was run up the stairs and slide down the stairs while saying that Bruce never let him do it at home. And Roy had always been a better person around Richard, watching the language and his actions. Oliver knew how tight those two were, peas in a pod. Yeah, he'd helped raise the kid, less of a father, more of a distant uncle. Or "uncle". Either way, he knew he'd made his mark.

Diana had a lesser role, mostly acting as a mother figure where she could and letting Black Canary do the rest. Diana had taken care of Bruce's problem's more than his ward's, but she'd always been around to baby-sit and listen to him recite the dictionary and he'd always creamed her at Go Fish. She always had wondered if he had x-ray vision. Her part in the play was small, but significant. She'd known Bruce better than most and had heard everything he'd ever said about Dick. How he was such a "damn good kid".

"Now we have to fix it." Barry's voice held a bit of a sigh as he put his head down on the table. "God, I wish Bats were here."

"But he isn't, is he?" Green Arrow put his chin on his fist to prop his head up. If they didn't get this sorted out soon, he knew it would be a long night. He just wanted for the kid to be happy, that was all. He understood the reason for not going to Alfred, sure, but that didn't mean that the butler wasn't his first instinct.

Diana, sadly, was the first to speak up on the topic. "We could always try to revive him, you know."

It was time for both Barry and Ollie, respectively, to banter at the same time on the troubles of this.

"I've been to the future-"

"-dimension jumping and snatching a Bruce Wayne-"

"-Jason didn't turn out so good-"

"-or warp time to save him which would damage the balan-"

"-obably not a good idea-"

"-can't mess up the universe-"

"-so we're not going to do that."

Diana found herself watching her twiddling thumbs. The Amazon didn't quite understand all of what they were saying, but she got the message and went quiet.

"So Clark failed already and Barry's not doing so well." Black Canary was doing a general overview of the whole thing. "Alfred won't work because he'll bring back Robin. The will is still nowhere to be found, damn billionaires, hiding all their shit..." She just wanted it all to be over with. She was dealing with teenagers all day that could only ask how their young friend was doing. "If it comes down to it, where's he going next?"

"Obviously can't stay at Mount Justice. Too tempting." Kent looked over to Dinah who was clearly pissed at the memories of what'd happened the previous day. "He'd be happier with friends, though."

"So another teammate," said Ollie, doing a quick checklist. Kaldur lived underwater, Superboy and M'gann both lived in Mount Justice, Wally was already living with Barry, and Artemis was Artemis. With a slight sigh, he said, "Which won't work."

"Alfred-"

"No, Clark."

The Man of Steel put his head down on the table. It only stayed there for a heartbeat when his hearing picked up on sounds outside the door. "You can't go in th-" "-op him!" "Don't dist-" "I'll do what I want, Junior Jeff." And the doors blasted open to reveal an obviously pissed off Roy Harper who had a bow in his hand, fingers clenched tightly around it. Immediately, Superman knew this whole thing was going down hill. But not before he heard the little murmur from M'gann, "His name's Conner, not Jeff..." The doors swung shut again.

Queen was the first to stand up and intercept him. He put his hands out in a 'stop' gesture. "Roy-"

The bow was slammed to the ground. "Why the Hell didn't anyone fucking tell me?"

A long silence ensued. Because everyone had assumed he'd known. He'd grown up with both Bruce Wayne and Richard Grayson all of his life. Had he not seen the news? Had he not noticed the lack of Robin in Gotham and the way crime had shot through the roof? He was a hero just like the rest of them, but for the past months, he hadn't noticed anything changing.

"Roy..." Ollie knew his son. This wasn't just anger. This was torment. This was physical pain. This was terrible, horrible. This was the world crumbling down.

Batman had been Harper's idol. Dark Knight, sweet car, sweet cave, all the babes, a damn good kid as his partner, all the toys in the world... Batman was the person he wanted to be all his life.

And he'd grown up with Dick just as Wally had. Endless days of piggy-back rides and throwing mud at each other. Side-by-side training day after day after day. Roy was the big brother Dick had never had. And the kid's father was _dead_. Roy felt terrible for not being there for him. He was supposed to _be there_. It was what brothers were for. They were supposed to _be there_.

"Where is he?" There was no need for senseless chatter. Get the talking done, get the feet moving. It'd be a long drive to find the kid if they weren't keeping him here.

No one hesitated in answering. "Central City," came Kent's reply.

It was only a moment before Roy kicked his bow at his mentor and threw his hands up in the air while storming out. "No one knows how to do anything around here anymore!" He pulled one door open and slid out, already ripping off the mask and getting ready to pull civvies on for the long haul. He was a bomb ready to go off.

Flash put his head down on the table, hands over his head. "We just need Bruce back..."

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><p>Wally at first thought he'd fallen asleep and that this was a dream that only granted wishes. He could've sworn Roy was an angel sent from Heaven.<p>

"Hell, Dick, come 'ere." Roy plopped himself right on the edge of that bed and reached over, pulling Dick's sobbing form out of the speedster's arms and against his own chest, running his fingers through the child's hair and murmuring soothing little whispers.

How Roy did it, Wally would never know; one thing the ginger did know was that if the archer ever had his own kids one day, Wally would be completely and utterly jealous of them.

Dick balled up his fists in Roy's dirty shirt and held on, tears streaming down his face as if waterfalls had just been unleashed. All this time he'd missed something familiar. The feel of being curled against a warm body.

_"Hush, Dick."_

"Hush, Dick."

The pain in his chest was feeling more like emptiness. It was like every day was getting harder. Harder to breathe, harder to feel, harder to eat, harder to think, even harder to cry. It was so hollow, so empty, so lonely, Bruce, Bruce-

_"I've got you."_

_There were always nightmares, but sometimes things could get especially bad. Blood. He would be drowning in an ocean of their blood and the pain would just be eating him alive, guilt in the form of demons that were trying to capture his soul, God, the blood, never-ending rivers of crimson blood-_

_"I've got you."_

_He'd always find himself in warm arms. Protective, warm arms that could always chase away dark clouds of memories and the lurking beasts of his nightmares._

_"I've got you."_

The raven-haired boy was practically clinging to him for dear life. Roy just did what he could. He moved Dick enough so that he could pull him onto his lap and wrap his arms around him and tuck his face into his chest and pull his balled-up body close. "I've got you," he whispered softly, still running his fingers through Richard's black hair. "I've got you."

Wally would forever envy Roy Harper's children.

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><p><strong>AN: Yeah, a minor flashback there for the lovers of father/son fluff. Keep in mind that italics lines that don't seem to fit are usually flashbacks or just little snippets of memories. Review?**

**~Sky**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: The third update in three days! I'm warning you now, this will never happen again.**

**I remind you, AGAIN, Bruce is dead. I got someone else asking "But Bruce is coming back, right?" Wrong. Sorry for sounding rude, but my point clearly isn't getting across.**

**For that confusing part, it's a three-day span.**

**Day 1: Chapter 14  
>Day 2: Chapter 16pt1<br>Day 3: Chapter 15, Chapter 16pt2, Chapter 17**

**Easier?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

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><p>"Now that we're all caught up."<p>

Barry looked over to see Roy emerging from the room that Dick had been in since his tantrum. If you could call it that. The speedster watched as Roy closed the door quietly behind him before turning back to the topic at hand. "I didn't even know you were still here," confessed Allen. He'd been avoiding a confrontation with the archer for a lot of reasons. For starters, he didn't want his house destroyed.

"I've been here for a few hours." Roy leaned against the wall beside the large tv that sat across from the couch Barry was planted on. "Dick just finished crying himself to sleep, and Wally's taking his reprieve from having to take care of him." The archer's eyes were on the coffee table by Allen's knees.

This brought about a sigh of relief from Flash. Less work for him. Wally was struggling to take care of Dick, he knew that, but Roy had handled it flawlessly considering it'd only taken a few hours and the fact that Dick was asleep by the end of it.

"It's a good thing you brought Kid Mouth."

Barry heard it. He heard that little bit of gratitude in Harper's voice. "I had to."

"You can still see a few of the bruises, but he's definitely happier here."

"Yeah."

That was really two conversations at once. Roy taking note of Wally's new residence and at the same time thanking the ginger's mentor for saving him from such a fate as the fist of his father. And Barry was just taking it all in stride, watching over Wally, watching over Dick, trying to help Clark manage the Justice League, deal with the everyday hero stuff around Central... Things were getting a lot more complicated now.

"But I don't think Dick is helping him any."

Now this was a turn of events. Barry looked up to find Roy's gaze level with his, holding the intensity of a thousand suns. The speedster could interpret it, but he didn't want to admit how bad what the younger hero was about to say would sound. "Ro-"

"What is with you people and saying 'Roy' and thinking that I'll shut up?" Anger bubbled up in his chest, but he pushed it back down. He groaned and focused again, one finger pinned to his temple as the stress level in the room continued to rise. "Barry, it's one way or the other. Wally saves Dick and it hurts Wally, or you ditch Dick and patch up your own flesh and blood. You've got to give and take a little."

Roy could see it; how Allen was so blind, the archer had no idea. Every day of having to deal with a mental breakdown or another issue... It was putting more pressure on Wally. Because Iris couldn't fix it, Barry couldn't fix it. It was Wally, only Wally. Best friends did that. It was what they were there for. So Dick was, in a way, hurting Wally's recovery.

But by the turn of the same coin, helping West would mean taking Grayson away and making the younger's stability shoot through the floor again. So either way, one of them was going to be hurting.

"Which one's top priority?" Roy wanted Barry to get this straight. He knew how the cards would fall here, but he wanted to make sure the speedster was getting this right. Roy was smarter than Queen had ever given him credit for. He knew both his brothers like the back of his hand, and he definitely knew how to read them and take care of them more than most people.

Swallowing and letting his head fall a little bit, he admitted, "Wally." That was how it was supposed to be. His nephew was his own flesh and blood, abused for a long time by his father and now seeking refuge with his uncle while simultaneously being his best friend's caretaker... This wasn't how his life was supposed to go. Wally was supposed to be going to school without having to hide bruises in the shape of hands or having to come home every night and deal with other drama. He should've been smiling and going to high school parties and dating girls while simultaneously being a superhero. Duh. So of course Barry had to put his nephew first. Wally needed him now.

"Good boy." Roy's remark was meant to sound like he was praising a dog. He was ready to lecture the entire League at this point just for being a bunch of jackasses. "What are you going to do now?"

The hardest question of the day, by far. Even if Conner had asked him where babies come from, that would've been a million times easier. He sat there quietly while hearing Roy's footsteps pad towards him quietly. "Barry." The rustling of his clothes as he knelt down to stare at the older hero a bit more. "Let's not make the wrong choice." Roy's lips were a severe line across his face, eyes still serious. "You've got a kid's life on the line, here."

He felt small; it was like Roy knew exactly what the Hell he was talking about, exactly what needed to be done. And maybe he did. That thought scared Allen. Because Harper wasn't always the most stable person in the room and if Roy was right...

"I'll talk with Clark and Canary, see what they think." Barry stood up, looking to the room where his two boys were kept, both still rebounding, both hurting each other. "But let's keep in mind that you're still just a kid yourself, got that? You're not in charge."

It could've come to fists had Roy not known what was good for him. And the fact that Wally and Dick were on the other side of that wall. "Don't screw this up. This is a web now. Saving Wally, saving Dick, saving the League. Bruce did it and now someone else needs to step up." Roy stood up once more and looked again to where he'd left his brothers. Hearing silence, he knew he was fine to leave. "Call me if you need me." He was moving to the front door on silent feet. "I'll be around."

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><p><strong>AN: This is the first story where I'm actually attempting to weave in subtle sub-plots. Catching on? I hope so. Reviews make me update faster.**

**~Sky**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Decided to update this again. And a few notes:**

**One: Kasta (my sister) and I are doing reviews on YJ episodes for YouTube. Check 'em out. Link to our channel is on my page.**

**Two: September 16****th****. The official date. And they can't back out this time. They've looped Ben 10, Generator Rex, AND Star Wars into it. No more lies. September 16****th****. Be there.**

**[Edit] I completely butchered this chapter originally. Missed some italics and a complete word screw up. Fixed now.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own.**

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><p>Dick understood. He'd seen the bruises and the tears. He understood. He was fine with leaving. Wally needed Central the way Dick needed Gotham. It was home. And there was only room for one damaged child in Barry Allen's house no matter how much he wanted to keep them both. Because one would only hurt the other in the end. Recovery was now on the horizon.<p>

For Wally.

Dick tossed his bag beside the couch while Barry put down the other two. "Any cookies?" asked the broken bird, hoping maybe he could relive those days where he'd come home from school, throw his backpack somewhere and grab one of Alfred's freshly baked cookies that'd burn his mouth when he tried to eat it. He wandered into the kitchen to find Megan pulling a tray out of the oven. It was the first smile he'd been able to give in a long time.

Conner, the newly renamed Superboy, walked in, jacket over his shoulders and hands shoved in his pockets. He grabbed a cookie before walking away again, headed for the television that he'd soon fill with static.

Richard listened to the green-skinned girl's babble about what kind of cookies they were while he munched on one, wondering who was showing up to take him next.

For some reason, it almost felt like he was the child of divorced parents. Swapping houses every week, looking at each parent with a scornful face and wondering what he did to deserve this punishment. Because all he'd done was leave his mentor alone for a day and-

He tried to focus on the cookie instead of thinking back to Bruce.

"Richard."

Quietly, cookie still in one hand, Dick turned around to see Kaldur standing there with a slight smile on his face. That kind, sympathetic smile he was always known for. That was Kaldur: quiet, simple, understanding, easy-going. Kaldur. "Hey." He offered his own half smile, still not having the heart to give his signature grin. "Long time no see."

Megan gave the Atlantean a cookie before floating off to share the rest with Superboy.

"How have you been?"

It was a good question, one that needed a good answer. Because he wasn't even sure himself. The strain of coming up with a response showed in his eyes. He wasn't doing much better than he had in the first place. His mind was off of the incident as long as he didn't think back to the manor and how alone he was. As long as he wasn't thinking about it, life went on normally except for the lack of cape and cowl. "Getting there." He gave a half-hearted shrug and shook his head a little bit. "Slowly but surely."

He knew he was going to recover. He'd recovered (mostly) from his parents' deaths, right? He'd survived that.

Then again, he'd survived that with help from Robin. Without Robin...

With a slight nod and a return of the half smile, Kaldur put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze. He just wanted to help, that was all. All anyone wanted to do was help him.

Kaldur had talked this over with Roy countless times in the past few days. How anyone linked was going to be affected by this. Batman's death, Robin's death, Dick's misery. It was a chain. The Justice League was so intertwined that it was impossible to be unaffected by such things as these events.

Dick found his attention stolen from Kaldur and taken to the entrance as the computer system called out the names and numbers of Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance. The two walked in, both greeted with the pan of piping hot cookies and Green Arrow helped himself to three of them before following the blonde towards the kitchen. And Richard couldn't help but notice how Aqualad had almost instinctively drifted away from him at the sight of the incoming Leaguers; the dark-skinned teen was now joining Miss Martian and Superboy over on the couch as they watched the snowy static crackle across the massive tv screen.

At least he'd had a taste of home. He'd had a fresh cookie and the opportunity to reminisce all the moments in his life that'd involved cookies. Alfred. Funerals. Bruce. Bruce... He missed Bruce so much...

_"Here." He'd offered a cookie. A simple cookie. Maybe that was why they'd come to mean so much to Dick. The first thing he'd ever get after being injured in the field was a cookie. One of Alfred's nice hot cookies, chocolate chip, fresh out of the oven. "Eat."_

_If it were a normal day, Bruce would give him a light scolding and say that acrobats and masters of martial arts wouldn't eat any sugar to keep their weight down and to keep them from becoming unhealthy. But no. When he got hurt in a fight, Bruce was always the first one to break out Alfred's chocolate chip cookies._

_Dick took the cookie and took a bite. Through a mouthful of crumbs, he said, "Thank you." Then another bite of cookie. And another. And another until he'd practically inhaled the damn thing._

_The first time was the worst. Bullet in the arm. Up just above his elbow. Alfred and Bruce had both worried over him for a half hour before Alfred went up to go make cookies and Bruce was running the last of the blood tests and stuff. Twenty minutes later, those cookies had come down nice and hot, ready for a hungry little bird._

_"You're welcome." They were as close to family as non-related people could be, but it was all just a formality so they never forgot who they were. He'd been taught by his parents- his beloved parents- that manners were important no matter what. He'd never forget who he was._

_He could never forget who he was._

Tears burned the back of his eyes, but he held them back. Showing weakness in front of Justice League members? They'd never take him seriously again! Dick kept his chin up and watched as they approached, gulping down the last of his lonely little cookie. He saw this going two ways: badly or straight down the toilet. Dinah and Ollie? It was like a sick joke.

"Dick, you understand why you had to leave Flash's, right?" asked Dinah, voice almost like she was talking to a little kid. It made the boy sick to his stomach. Were they serious?

"Yeah. Wally needed him more. Blood comes before all else." He knew. Batman's rule was no killing. His parents were his family. Zucco fell between the two and blood would always be thicker than water; Dick would kill Zucco. Eventually.

"Then as long as you understand." Ollie shoveled a cookie into his mouth, the other two having vanished on the walk over to the kitchen.

"I do," said the kid confidently, blue eyes staring up at the archer. He looked over Dinah's face for a moment, reading her features like an open book. "And I'm going with Ollie now?"

As Black Canary took her moment to be stunned, Queen stepped in, saying, "You'll be coming with me, yes. Roy's agreed, reluctantly, to stay with me again to help you." He rubbed his fingers through his golden beard. "We'll head over there tomorrow. You're here for the night so you can spend some time with the others since they hardly see you anymore."

"Alright." Dick was fine with that. He missed them all. Megan's cookies, Kaldur's silent presence, Artemis's sisterly care, and Superboy just being Superboy. "And where's Roy?"

"Around."

A little smirk crept across Richard's face. "Typical Roy." The kid gave a little smile before saying, "Don't worry, I'll be here tomorrow. Pick me up whenever you want, I'm not going anywhere." With that said, he went over to join the three sixteen year olds where they sat on the couch, the static-filled tv the main attraction as the cookies filled hungry bellies.

He'd be fine.

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><p><strong>AN: Graaaahhh, I don't write Green Arrow well… I'm sorry… Ignore him if he's OOC. I can only work with the main characters really well. The others are left up to my interpretation and whatever personality charts I can find online… Review?**

**~Sky**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Kind of an awkward chapter, but my brain had this idea and I couldn't fit it into another series, but I also couldn't put it as a one-shot, so I kind of wrote it into this…**

**Disclaimer: I would love to own Young Justice. Sadly, I don't own it.**

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><p>"He's crashing here for the night?" asked Artemis, pulling the mask over her face as she finished off her uniform. She clasped the bow a little tighter in her hand as M'gann levitated her quiver closer. The blonde archer snatched it out of the air and slung it over her back.<p>

"Yes," said M'gann, morphing her cape around her shoulders, the hood falling against her back. "He's staying in Superboy's room."

This brought up a good question. "Where's Superboy staying then?" asked the archer, now just waiting for Kaldur to arrive and for Wally to finish getting into his speedster get-up.

"My room." Megan levitated over a plate of cookies, taking one for herself and moving it for Artemis to take one as well. The archer declined politely, watching the plate float back to its original position.

"Then where are you staying?" Wouldn't it just be more convenient for someone to sleep on the couch? The blonde sometimes wondered what went on in her green friend's mind.

"In my room, of course."

Pause. Rewind. Play back. "What?"

"I'm staying in my room...?" Megan replied hesitantly. That was the right answer, wasn't it?

Artemis blinked a few times while staring at Megan. Then remembering that neither Miss M nor her boyfriend had taken biology or health or knew anything about... Yeah. She figured they were safe. And worse case scenario, they wouldn't get back from this mission 'til dawn, so what was the difference?

She was saved from making an awkward response by Wally scampering in while trying to pull a shoe on. "Hey, okay, so what's the plan?" He had his mask dangling around his neck, goggles wrapped around his wrist like a bracelet. "All I know is that we got trouble out in Bialya again and Dick's asleep around here somewhere." He finally got his shoe on and then began to work on sticking his head through the skintight mask. "Who's here?"

"The six of us. You, me, Miss M, Superboy, Rob, and Aqualad." Artemis looked over to the entrance to see Kaldur making his way in, silver gaze searching for his teammates. "You know who all's here. Have you lost your mind, Baywatch?"

There was a jade glare that was quickly ignored. "No, I'm just doing the math. Five of us on the mission, six total, it's not going to work, so I have to stay behind or something."

"Wally, what are you talking about?" asked M'gann as Superboy approached. He had been out on the back ledge staring at the sun and hoping for heat vision for the past two hours. He was finally getting in and ready for the actual mission. "There's nothing wrong with only five of us going."

"We have been doing it for months now, Kid," said Kaldur, jumping in after quickly catching onto the topic. He was a little late to the party, but he caught up very easily. "Artemis may be right. You may be los-"

"No," said Wally, sticking his hands out in front of him in protest. "No, seriously, I'm not losing my mind. It's just that Rob has issues with being alone. I learned it the hard way. He's got serious problems, and if he has a nightmare and wakes up alone, I'd have some serious guilt issues."

Superboy's eyes widened. What all could happen in the span of a few hours? As long as the kid didn't wake up, nothing would go wrong, right?

Artemis snorted. Sure, she cared for the kid as much as her teammates, but Wally did have a habit of exaggerating. Exaggerating to the point of thinking a grape was a bowling ball. Yeah, he lied about that one. "Well, you can't stay behind," she said, voice fierce. "Red Tornado said-"

"He's not around, is he?"

Clearly, this was a real issue. Artemis gave him a glare. "No," she said slowly and deliberately, making sure he got the message. No, he couldn't stay behind, and no, Red Tornado was not around. "He'll be fine until we get back. Let's just g-"

"Last time he woke up alone, I found him curled up under his bed clutching a picture of Bruce to his chest while crying and speaking a different language."

The team went quiet for a long moment.

"Give me twenty minutes." Wally was already whipping out his phone and tapping on the numbers for his speed-dial. Well, he used to call it his Speedy-dial. Back when that was the most appropriate term for it. Now it would have to be Red Arrow-dial, which just didn't have that same ring to it. "Twenty minutes, I promise you. I'll run across the ocean, you guys take the bio-ship, meet you there in an hour or two, promise." He stuck the phone to his ear; Wally listened to the loud ringing while waiting in anticipation for the sound of his fellow redhead's voice over the line.

They all stared at him like he had just grown a third eye. Wally West, Kid Flash, asking them to wait for him. Fastest boy in the world and he was asking his friends to give him twenty minutes. Never again, never in a million years, would this ever happen again.

"Fifteen," replied the archer, looking to Kaldur.

The Atlantean nodded slowly, his silver eyes moving from Artemis to M'gann. "Let us go to the bioship." He put a hand on Kid Flash's shoulder. "We will see you in Bialya."

"No problem, Kal!" said Wally with his naturally broad smile while shooting the dark-skinned teen a thumbs-up. "I'll head out in fifteen minutes!"

"Better be there, Baywatch!"

He stuck his tongue out in her direction only to see the door sliding closed behind him and to hear a groggy, "What the fuck are you fucking calling me for? It's fucking one in the fucking morning!"

Sometimes Wally could forget that Roy Harper was not a morning person. And he could also forget how much Roy loved to use the word "fuck".

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><p>"How did y- You know what? I don't even wanna know." Artemis flipped a hand at him before moving out of the bioship and watching it camouflage behind her, disappearing like a chameleon. "I don't even wanna know. I just don't."<p>

Wally, smirking as always, took a heartbeat to run up to her, say, "I ran across the ocean, blondie," and retreat back to his original position where he had waited for his teammates to come. "I'm like a cheetah. No, wait, I'm faster than a cheetah. I'm a... Okay, never mind. Point is, I beat you guys. So HA!"

Superboy grunted. He didn't care if they got beat. Sheesh, it was just the ocean. Not like they were racing someone important...

"But I will inform you that I was smart in my decision to wait." He held his dinky little phone out. "Roy called 'bout twenty minutes ago and said Dick had a little nightmare issue. Good news is, it's safe to go back to Mount Justice guilt-free." He kept wearing his usual smirk. It suited him all too well. "Roy took care of it. And if I had left him alone, he'd be curled up under his bed crying for a few hours and we'd all feel bad for leaving him alone. So again, HA!"

Artemis clunked him on the head with the tip of her bow. "Just shut up."

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><p><strong>AN: Kind of shotty, but I love it. I know how to do better, yes, but I had the idea, couldn't let it go, and felt the need to throw a splash more of Roy in there. Review?**

**~Sky**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: A bit more light-hearted. I decided to add another point on the path towards the Emerald City. More than the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion. We get a fourth part, just not today. Good news, it's in my head. Happy days…**

**Disclaimer: No, still don't own.**

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><p>He knew Roy was not a morning person; he knew it only a little too well.<p>

Of course, Wally had never been the perfect morning person either, but Roy was much, much worse. Measuring it would take a Richter scale to measure the seismic waves from his yelling.

"Where are my goddamn Lucky Charms?"

Dick, hiding up in his room after a long night of restless sleep, looked to the box in his hands for a moment before shoving it under his pillow. He didn't want to face Roy this early in the morning. Give him an hour and he'd be better and willing to do anything ranging from head to the mall and tail a hot girl to stalking down a Shadows assassin. The twenty minutes between waking him up and feeding him breakfast was the dangerous period.

The raven-haired boy could faintly make out Ollie's voice in the kitchen say, "Dick has your cereal."

"Oh, well that's different." Even when he was just talking, he was still loud. Especially compared to Ollie who didn't get loud until after his coffee, which he only drank after Dinah left and Roy had come out of his room. He knew he'd need the coffee to take on the house's rowdy redhead.

Heavy footsteps plodded up the stairs with that fast gait Dick had gotten used to. Ollie would walk up the stairs slowly, and his steps would usually be accompanied by the rustling of a newspaper or the twanging of a bow ready to be fitted with an arrow. Dinah was silent. Or maybe he just never heard her coming up the stairs enough to really notice what she sounded like. Whenever she was in the house, Roy wasn't and Ollie was. Which was almost better than having Harper and Queen around at the same time considering they were almost always trying to pick a fight. But Roy coming up the stairs was like the pounding of drums, fast and furious.

Dick watched the doorknob turn and saw that matted red hair. "Lucky Charms?"

"Magically delicious, as always." Dick pulled the box out from under his pillow and tossed it to Roy who had opened the door fully, just standing there without a shirt, without a mask, looking completely natural as if he belonged here- even though he had his own trashy apartment a few blocks over.

Roy caught it with ease. "Sweet." He tucked the box under one arm while reaching for the doorknob to leave, knowing the kid liked to keep his door closer. He looked up at the last second to see Dick just sitting there quietly like he did most days. "Hey, you want coffee or something?"

Blue eyes looked up. "No, I'm good." That, and Bruce never let him have coffee. There was this one time when he was nine... Bad experiences. Especially with Wayne Manor being so massive.

Roy's lips pursed silently and his eyes narrowed a bit. "Well at least fix your hair up or something so you don't look like such a gangster." He did see Richard grin at that, the first one he'd cracked all week. "You and me are heading over to Central. Barry says Wally needs someone to go parkouring with, whatever that is." The elder rolled his eyes and shook his head while backing out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

He couldn't help but listen to the gentle sounds of a moving child and opening drawers. A smirk found its way to his lips. He thundered down the stairs again, Lucky Charms in hand.

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><p>"You want us to do <em>what<em>?"

Roy was still not awake. He'd picked up a coffee to head over to Central with and grabbed himself a danish (they didn't have any bagels, dammit) and then hit the zeta-beam button that would warp them to the hometown of Flash and Flash Junior. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Wally for a number of reasons:

One: He's Wally.  
>Two: He's Wally.<br>Three: He called while Roy was sleeping.  
>Four: Parkouring looked like a helluva lotta work for a morning job.<br>Five: He's Wally.

But the look on Richard's face at the mere mention of West's name and Roy couldn't deny that he had to at least put in some effort. More than Clark, less than Barry. He knew how all of that had worked out...

"Get from this side of the city," said Wally, jabbing his pointer finger into an oversized map of Central City, "to this exact point on the museum rooftop." He looked up at Roy with serious green eyes and the faint outline of a grin on his freckled face. "Got that, Arrowboy?"

"Hush up, Kid Mouth." He gave Wally a swift (but gentle) smack on the back of the head. He wore a slight scowl. "I get it. I'm just not doing it."

Of course, that's the exact cue two adorable and irresistible teenagers need to be able to poke and prod their supervisor to death until he gives in.

"Rooooyyyy-"

"C'mon, Roy-"

"Please?"

"Pretty please?"

"With sugar on top?"

"No w-"

"Roooooyyyyyyyy-"

"-ig baby-"

"Rooooyyyy-"

"Roy Boy, c'mon, you gotta-"

"Guys, seriously-"

"Rooyyy-"

"You're so mean, Roy-"

"Yeah, Roy, why ya gotta be like that?"

"Roooyyy-"

"Fine, just shut up."

"Fine" was the cue for the high-five and the matching victory smiles that planted themselves on the younger boys.

Wally stabbed the map again with his finger. "This side of Central to this point on the museum rooftop. Carefully, quietly, and fast. We're racing."

Roy had to pause his train of thought for a moment. "Wait, Wally, you have supersp-"

"GO!" cried out Dick, the first one to take off running and vault his way over a railing with a simple flip before grasping the rail like the trapeze he used so long ago and swinging himself down onto the soft grass below to tumble further.

The redheads stood there for a long moment, watching him disappear after propelling himself over car hoods and swing off of lampposts until he was out of sight, a shadow as his mentor had once been.

Harper was the first to speak up. "Don't you think this is a little too... Robin for him?" He rolled his shoulders a bit, stretching his muscles and getting ready for his own start. Of course, he had only half the acrobatic skills of Richard and not even an eighth of Wally's speed and already figured he was coming in last. Arrows weren't allowed since they were parkouring in civvies.

Wally, once again, smiled; a little glint of mischief hung in those deep green orbs. "That's the plan." And he took off running, that shock of red hair moving through the streets like a normal kid running down the sidewalk, just a little faster.

Roy shook his head. Whatever that kid was planning could only go over badly.

He walked to the sidewalk and hailed a taxi.

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><p><strong>AN: I portray Roy the way I see Roy. I did my minimal research (thank the makers of Wikipedia, my friends) and Googled other details, but I follow his personality from the show rather than other sources. Anyways, review?**

**~Sky**

**P.S. Can't forget to mention the inspiration for part of this chapter. "Parkour" by moo-like-a-llama. Great fic, go check it out. I think I've read it like three times. Not to mention that I'm now a parkour addict…**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: This chapter took me about two hours last night. Mostly because I was looking for Roy's eye color. That was a half hour of my writing time. I came up with blue and green and bluish green, so I'm going with the final of the three just since there were too many mixed comments on the whole thing.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own.**

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><p>Most days were quiet aside from Roy's yelling.<p>

What Dick liked the most about living in Oliver Queen's house was the fact that it was much like Wayne Manor. Spacious rooms, massive windows, arched openings and double doors everywhere. The whole place felt like a palace, a lighter version of his foster father's home. It felt familiar in a distant way.

Of course, Wayne Manor had been, what, a year ago now? He hadn't been back. He hadn't seen Alfred. He hadn't touched the Batcave nor his R-Cycle. Dick hoped his things weren't collecting dust. He wondered how Gotham was. He was curious to see how the Joker was being dealt with without the Dark Knight around.

Queen's house was also quiet. Every corner held an echo or a shadow. It was empty most of the time, Ollie out at some meeting or whatever and Roy always doing his Red Arrow thing, still trying to get out on his own and make a name for himself. Dick was left alone most of the time, something he was fine with.

Unlike Clark's house, this was a good kind of lonely.

He had _space_. Move a couch here, push something out of the way there, try not to break that one vase that Ollie loves. Then there's room for a couple flips, some cartwheels, a somersault or two. There's _space_.

And God did Queen know how to keep a house. Big screen televisions in every major room and smaller tvs in closets and bathrooms. Every channel under the sun, too. Cartoons, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, all the MTV a normal teenage boy could ask for. Entertainment. Things to keep his mind off of where he really wanted to be, who he really wanted to be with.

Then there was the kitchen. He kept that thing stocked with anything a kid could ask for. Candy, cereal, ice cream, fruit, soda, cookies. Richard went in there about seven or eight times a day just to snag a single cookie and walk away, but that lingering pain of missing Alfred never did seem to go away.

Then there was the small gym Roy had in his room. Dick knew he wasn't supposed to be in there, but Roy was pretty lax with him, letting up on most rules that were put in place to keep Oliver (and Wally) out of his life. So the boy would sometimes borrow some weights and replace them before his big brother got home. The less Roy knew, the better.

Then there were the days when Dinah would just hang around, a babysitter for a ghost. She would watch tv with him, watch him play solitaire for hours on end, keep an eye on him as he slayed video game zombies. The there were the times when she'd make him a sandwich and he'd offer up that smile that she rarely saw or when they'd play blackjack and he'd beat her by a long shot (later telling Ollie that she let him win). She was good with him, but she always wished Roy was around to keep an eye on him instead.

But no, the hotheaded redhead was always out saving the world.

The days when Harper was home, though...

Roy would sit on the floor with Dick as he read a book; Roy would do nothing but stare at the ceiling and try to think of what to say to this kid who'd lost so much in life, who'd gone through Hell and was still pulling out of that downward spiral, having not yet hit the ground.

Or he'd wrestle with Dick and get his ass handed to him on a silver platter. The kid would stand over him with a knee on his chest and a hand at his throat, the simple word "Gotcha" hanging in the air between them as those baby blue eyes sparkled with victory.

And sometimes Roy would call Wally over and the three of them would do something stupid together, go to the movies with the goal to get thrown out, go to Wal-Mart and race carts down the aisles while screaming something crazy, or even stay home and draw mustaches on girls in magazines. Stupid boy stuff, that was what they did.

And he did all of that stupid stuff to keep that little raven-haired boy happy, just to try and see him smile, just to offer what little companionship he could.

He did it all just to try.

Roy saw the fine line of things. Clark had tried too hard by offering his home but had too little experience to actually deal with the child himself. Allen had put the right foot forward, but other circumstances had gotten in the way, blood always running thicker than water. Roy knew he had to put in the effort and keep Dick here. Where else could the kid go? There weren't any other options left. If the bird wasn't there, where would he go?

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><p>Roy was just lying next to Dick while the kid munched on a cookie. They both stared up at the ceiling, watching for patterns to reveal themselves in that popcorned paint that hung overhead, taunting them with endless shapes and visions.<p>

He knew they had to talk. Had he talked with anyone yet? Wally, sure, yeah, probably. But had he talked with anyone seriously? Losing his dad... That was a big issue. Talking with someone was definitely a necessity. Talking would save his soul one day...

After they'd gone quiet, eyes tired of finding shapes, Roy had spoken up.

"Grayson?"

"Yeah?"

The redhead paused, bluish green eyes searching for more shapes to maybe worm his way out of it at the last second. No shapes were there, no visions present. "Are you alright?" When that didn't feel complete enough, he added on, "With everything?"

"Yeah," he said quietly, cookie already gone. "It's not easy, but I'm surviving." He moved one hand from its place behind his head to run it through his already messy black mop of hair. "I miss the way it used to be, but..." He missed it so much that it hurt, eating a hole in his chest, carving a cavity in his heart. And "but"? There was no "but" because there was no bright side to any of this. He was just being shuffled from parent to parent until they couldn't take care of him anymore. He could see it in everyone's eyes. They were all afraid of what would happen when he ran out of homes to hide in. "I'll live."

"But are you okay?" Roy was serious. As far as he was concerned, Richard Grayson was his ward now and no one was going to take that kid from him unless it was over his dead body.

He swallowed hard, trying to keep from breaking. There were fragile moments of every day. This was one of them. "It's not so bad if I can keep myself distracted," he explained, voice a little tired and strained. Because he couldn't be distracted from the hurt when he was talking about it. The pain was still raw enough to rip open the stitches that were working to sew him back up again like an old rag doll being repaired. "As long as I don't think about it, I'm alright. I have to keep moving, that's the key. If I pause," he paused to breathe, "I break. And I can't break."

Roy felt like he deserved to be hit. Repeatedly.

This damn kid was still trying to prove himself. To himself.

Harper knew how Batman operated. Don't show weakness, not even when you have a bloody partner, not even when you're staring Death in the face, not even when you want to give up. You don't show weakness.

Now he had no one to aspire to. Batman dead, Robin dead, Bruce dead, his life dead, Dick had to _be something_.

That something just so happened to be the kid that Batman always wanted Robin to be. Emotionless, strong as steel, and a hero.

Roy wished someone were there to slap him silly.

"You don't have to be afraid to break."

There was a pause and then a few sharp intakes of breath from the child. "I know."

A pause. He paused. Pause.

"But it's what Bruce would want."

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><p><strong>AN: If you look at Roy, he's like the happy medium of Clark and Wally. Or at least he's trying to be. Review? Please?**

**~Sky**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: I've had this ready for three days and haven't gotten any computer access to actually post it. But here it is. And this one… pay attention. Not to details, not to the actual story, to what I'm trying to toy with here.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I'm still not the owner of Young Justice.**

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><p>Three boys. A ceiling fan. A fish.<p>

Why? No one could explain it. Stupid stuff happened. Or as Roy would put it, "Shit happens." Wally and Dick preferred the clean version of the phrase, but that was Roy for you.

"We should definitely name him Montoya," said Dick, watching the little beta fish swim around in the tiny bowl out of the corner of his eye as he listened to the groans of Wally and Roy as they heard him try to name the fish yet again.

For the past three hours, they'd been watching the ceiling fan spin and spin and spin and spin while tossing fish names around. Roy, out of the goodness of his tiny, cold, angry heart (if there even was a heart in there), had decided to buy Dick a fish. Why? Because fish were simple, cool, and looked funny when they ate things. Where was the problem?

"No, we're naming him Friedrich." Wally's green eyes watched the fan blades rotate. "Seriously." He had his hands folded behind his head and a smug grin planted on his features. Clearly, he thought this was a battle he could win. "You know, like that really old computer game with the fish. Freddie Fish, yeah. Except for its Friedrich. It's classier."

"Like you know anything about class," snorted Dick, smiling as he looked to Roy; the older of the two redheads was smirking as well.

Wally glared in the direction of his best friend but said nothing.

It was time for Roy's input on the whole thing. He'd said his idea for a long time now and figured that it made sense. "Is there something so wrong with naming a fish Fish? It makes the 'Here, Fishy Fishy Fishy' thing sound much more appropriate. That, and what about that one movie? Where the guy calls his dog Dog? It's always 'Here, Dog' or 'Get 'em, Dog' or 'Good dog, Dog'."

"Wasn't that that old Western movie? 'Big Jake' or something like that?" questioned Wally, glancing at the little black fish as it swam around in its bowl, flitting back and forth, to and fro, tail swishing, never stopping, endlessly swimming.

"Yeah, yeah," said Roy, trying to recall that one actor. The really famous one. The one that was in pretty much every good Western movie from that time period. The one with the three wives and crap. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, waiting for the thought to come to him. He knew it too...

"That's too overused," commented Wally, flipping his hand in the direction of his fellow redhead. His jade eyes shut for a long moment and a content sigh passed his lips. "I still think you should name him Friedrich."

"After a computer game? Totally classy..." Dick rolled his eyes, shaking his head a little bit. He tapped the glass and the little black fish swam towards him with a certain eagerness that made the raven-haired boy's heart swell, even if just for a moment.

"I know, isn't it?" Wally kept that grin plastered to his face, freckles stretched across his countenance from the smile that seemed to stick to him like glue nowadays. Things were looking up. Finally.

Dick gave Wally a quick punch. Wally returned the favor.

"Montoya."

Wally began to watch the ceiling fan again. "Why would you name a fish Montoya?" He pulled one hand from behind his head to scratch his cheek for a moment before returning it back to its place. "At least me and Roy Boy have reasons for Friedrich and Fish. Montoya is just... It doesn't even make sense, dude."

Richard tapped the glass again, the little fish smashing his face against it to try and get to the pale finger on the other side. "He just looks like a Montoya."

"How?" asked Wally incredulously. He wasn't sure how a fish could look like much of anything, really. It was a fish. Didn't all fish look the same? They all had fins and buggy eyes and fish lips and were usually flat... What was the difference? "It's a fish!"

"I dunno. He just does." Dick didn't have to use logic for everything. He could just think freely. Wally was very step-by-step and by the book when it came to thinking. Roy... Roy had his moments. But Richard... When it came to being Robin, going by the book would've gotten him killed. The creativity in being an acrobat and in being a skills-only crime-fighter took a lot more effort than using a power or wielding a little weapon. Creativity was something Grayson had a surplus of. And it was all trapped up in his little head. Which was probably where the heck the name Montoya came from.

"Well, if you don't like Friedrich, then how about Toulouse?"

Dick gaped at his friend for a few moments. "Where did you pull that name out of?"

"That one movie with the cats and the old lady. Toulouse was the little black kitty-cat. With the red bow tie. And I think his eyes were blue... Maybe..."

More gaping. Wherever the scatterbrain pulled his information out of must've been some sort of party town or something 'cause his mind was going in like a hundred different directions. "You're like Rain Man, dude..."

"Creepy, right?" asked a grinning West, jade eyes glimmering with satisfaction. He knew almost everything when it came to movies.

And Roy came back out of his trance, out of his long line of intense thought. He'd bolted upright and swiveled his torso around so he was looking down at his comrades. "John Wayne. It was John Wayne, that was who was in 'Big Jake'."

Wally was the second one to pick up on it. Only after he noticed Dick go stiff and silent.

Roy was smiling to himself for remembering until he watched the grin slide off of Richard's face and right onto the floor, any happy thoughts quickly forgotten in the wake of a name. "Crap, Dick, I'm sorry..." He reached out for the kid as he sat up and offered his arms out for the boy to take shelter in, shelter from the storm.

John. John Grayson. Richard John Grayson's father.

Wayne. Bruce Wayne. Again, Richard's father.

Again, Roy had screwed up.

Dick didn't refuse his brother's embrace. He accepted it, but internally cursed himself for letting something so innocent get to him. But it hurt so bad... It hit so hard... Just one little thing had the tendency to throw his emotional scale off-balance.

He felt Wally close by and rubbing a hand in his hair. Brothers. Family. Comfort.

Three boys. A ceiling fan. A fish.

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><p><strong>AN: Brownie points to anyone who can see the extra points in this chapter. There are three and you have to look at it kind of carefully. And know a lil' bit 'bout the three things. Or at least humor me and Google it.**

**Review?**

**~Sky**

**P.S. For some reason, I'm grateful that my dad made me watch all those damn John Wayne movies... It actually applies to writing once in a while...**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Movie references in the last chapter:**

"**The Aristocats"- a movie about cats trying to find their way HOME.  
><strong>"**Big Jake"- a movie about a guy trying to go SAVE his grandSON. (My original memory was that he was saving his son… Whoops.)  
><strong>"**Rain Man"- a movie about casinos, a con-artist, and BROTHERS.**

**So if you can pick up on the themes I'm trying to relay to you, that's great. Someone also mentioned Montoya as that guy from "The Princess Bride". Yeah, I haven't seen that one. I just thought that naming a fish Montoya would be cool.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still not owning this. Do you think I own it?**

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><p>Stories have beginnings. Stories have ends.<p>

Dick was still stuck in the middle of his. He'd gotten pretty accustomed to the fancy parties and charity events and other such trivialities that the whole thing didn't seem like much. Roy had pulled out an old tux and shoved it on the fourteen-year-old before trying to get a tie on him and attempting to get his mop of black hair tamed.

Of course, Richard could've done it all himself in half the time, but if Roy was willing, who was he to protest?

"You boys know how this goes," lectured Queen gently, looking at the two with observing eyes, gaze flitting down to watch Dick and up again to watch Roy. The redhead was practically towering over him at nineteen. "Behave, try not to do anything stupid, and if you see Wally, get him out ASAP."

The boys shared their grins before nodding quietly and murmuring soft "Yes, Ollie"s to the tall blonde man.

One hand reached down to ruffle Dick's hair (setting Harper on edge because Hell, he'd just gotten the damn kid's hair right and that dumbass had just fucked it up and- behavior...) before Oliver gave his own foster son a wink and headed off to get Dinah on his arm so they could drink the night away.

"I guess it's a good thing you're used to this," sighed Roy as the cameras started clicking once inside the gala. The redhead gave a few somber waves whilst keeping his head down, avoiding eye contact at all costs. "Or else this would be a complete nightmare."

Contrasting Roy, Grayson was flashing smiles and waving to the cameras, blue eyes glittering as he walked past. Part of him had missed all of this. The prep time and hard work put into his looks, the love of the press, the flickering flashes of simultaneous cameras... He had to enjoy it just a bit. He remembered the first time going into this-

_"Just smile and try not to get lost." Bruce had even gone the extra mile and made sure to stick a tracking device on the boy before even letting him set foot in a limo. No, he wasn't paranoid. Just protective. If anything happened to that kid, he didn't know what he'd do with himself. "This'll all be over in-" He flicked his wrist, sleeve moving up a bit, and glanced at the watch that was positioned there. "-five hours."_

_The kid's face instantly fell._

_"But-" Bruce struggled to keep his voice on a happy note for the pitiful little nine-year-old who just wanted to don a cape and mask and leap from rooftop to rooftop like the little acrobat he was. Not even Bruce wanted to go to the gala, but really, he had to be there. As Bruce Wayne more than anything. "-once it's over, we'll go out, alright?" Translation: Batman and Robin time._

_Sucking in a deep breath and then releasing it, Dick put on a brave face and said, "Okay. So we've just got to survive the night."_

_"Just like we do every other night." And Bruce Wayne the socialite was shining through, the dull, lifeless form of Batman falling away like a snake's skin. Alfred opened the limousine's door, and the billionaire stepped out. He offered a hand back in for his son._

_Tentatively, Richard reached out for his father's hand and stepped into the lights and into the eyes of the crowds that would soon coo over everything he did._

_And would search for him when he dropped off the grid from a kidnapping in the middle of the gala._

Roy made himself comfortable in a chair in the back of the room, Dick sliding into the one next to him after giving his fans a good taste of what he looked like now, a little over a year older. "Looks like my hiding spot's been compromised," he said, watching as the cameras focused on him and Queen's adopted son. "They all know I'm here now. It won't take them long to figure out I'm living with you."

"You could probably head over and do an interview, honestly," remarked the archer, a bit of a sneer on his face. He had one arm slung over the back of his chair and let his body slouch a bit. Not like anything important was going on. "Tell them that you'll only do it if they donate to Ollie's charity though. We've gotta make some cash off of you."

Dick arched an eyebrow.

Sighing, Roy flipped a hand in the kid's direction. "I don't mean it like that, I'm just saying you could help all the homeless kids and stuff just by charging, like, twenty bucks. Better yet, make it a hundo. Or maybe a thou. Yeah, they'd pay big bucks for you..." Seeing a little pouting frown on the raven-haired boy, Harper reached over and ruffled the kid's hair. (Hey, Ollie messed it up first...) "I'm just messin' with you." A coy smirk passed Roy's lips.

Dick gave his elder a playful punch before standing up and heading towards the masses of media men as they snapped shots of him in his snazzy clothes. After his absence in the world, it felt good to be speaking out about something. Or just to be speaking out. Roy listened better than Wally ever had. Roy had to be the greatest brother in the history of all brothers. And talking with the media, when they asked who he was living with now, he didn't answer Oliver Queen.

He answered Roy Harper.

It was an hour later when the redhead came for his little brother, eventually having the haul the boy away from the media because they had been grabbing at him and begging for more answers and for better close-ups and for autographs. Roy had slung the boy over one shoulder and carried him towards their table again before plopping him into a chair and dropping into his own. "They're animals," snarled a furious archer, trying to fix the kid back up again, trying to ignore the tears in the child's eyes.

Some questions had been harder to answer. Even a year later.

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><p>The snapshots on the cover of the next day's paper were of Dick Grayson half-asleep against Roy Harper, the older boy with an arm around the child as he fought off the Sandman.<p>

"So," said Ollie as his boys came down, Roy going for the milk in the fridge while Dick reached for the Froot Loops in the back of the pantry, "I see Dick Grayson made a few statements last night to the reporters." The sounds of shuffling papers filled the air as Queen shook out the ink-filled sheets.

"I can't hide forever," said the boy as Harper produced two bowls from a cabinet. "And they saw me anyways. They'd be here now if I hadn't dealt with them last night." He poured Froot Loops into the bowls while Roy fished spoons out of a drawer. "And it's not like they wouldn't see me at another event. Better to deal with it the first time. That's what Bruce always said."

The elder archer almost flinched at the mention of Bruce. Richard was throwing it around so carelessly, just not even bothering... Of course, the Justice League hadn't had as many emotional attachments as Rob- Richard had had, but the subject was still sore for them sometimes.

"He dealt with it." Roy poured milk into the bowls while Dick put the cereal box back where it belonged. "And as long as he didn't say anything stupid-" He caught Richard sticking his tongue out at him out of the corner of his eye while closing the pantry's door. "-there isn't an issue." He sent an elbow the kid's way; Richard dodged it effortlessly. "So there's no problem."

There were a few things in Oliver Queen's life that he never thought he'd see: Roy happy, Dick smiling, the two boys so in-sync that it was almost frightening. This was like something out of a movie. Two boys recovering because of each other. Fights with Roy had significantly dropped. Richard looked like he was on the upswing again, and, by the way he'd answered all of the questions, he was really on his way to recovery. And maybe, just maybe, this was the start of new lives.

Roy slid into a chair, the one that Dick was going to sit in, and got a little glare before the blue-eyed boy slipped into the chair beside his brother. "You're so mean," huffed Dick before shoving the first spoonful of Froot Loops into his mouth.

"Yeah." Roy swallowed the first bite of his breakfast. "I know."

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><p><strong>AN: Review? Please?**

**~Sky**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: A few responses to reviews:**

**Jimmy Candlestick: I know I've been making him seem like a child (guilty as charged), and that's partially on purpose and somewhat on accident. I read a lot of stuff on here that has him as an eight-year-old. That may bias my opinion a bit; that, and the fact that we had no episodes. The other reason I portray him as young is because when you lose your security, you usually act… weaker. You either grow more mature because of the experience and settle down into a somber coma or mentally retreat to a safer place. Since Dick is so mature to begin with, I would say he would retreat to this younger, calmer personality that can bear with the loss better than the over-thinking, mature version that he's grown into. I hope that maybe answers that…? Sugary cereals? Yeah, that's a habit. Kevin gets bacon, Lance gets Cheerios, Dick gets whatever I find in my pantry. *shrugs***

**E: You're losing Dick's emotions because I'm writing him differently and because I'm also trying to get into other characters, Roy, Wally, etc.. It's a style I'm working through to build things. Don't worry.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own. Sorry for the long A/N.**

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><p>Didn't things always start out just like every other day?<p>

Cereal, the two of them at a table in peace, Oliver Queen already off to deal with business meetings or League missions. Roy would have himself a cup of black coffee while Dick picked up the comics for his daily dose of smiles.

About an hour after that, a call came in from the man of the house. Dick picked it up only to hit speakerphone so Roy could hear it while brushing his teeth.

Ollie's voice crackled through the line. "Roy, Red Arrow is needed downtown Metropolis. Superman is out in Bialya dealing with some Boomtube issues along with Wonder Woman and Red Tornado. Everyone else is out of range. Onomatopoeia is-"

"On it." He spit, threw his toothbrush in the holder, and hustled off to the Arrowcave, Queen's jab at Batman's Batcave gone horribly wrong.

Richard, being loyal, curious, and the avid hero he was, went along. He'd been kept away from the Arrowcave for obvious reasons, the main one being the fact that it could trigger some bad memories if unsupervised. Roy was the one keeping him away from it. His excuse always boiled down to the quick fix of "safety purposes" or "for the kid's sake".

Although not like treating him like a five-year-old was going to do any good.

"It's a lot like the Batcave," commented Dick as he looked up into the rafters, half-expecting the beady red eyes of bats to glare down at him, an intruder in this home. "Just brighter. And with less technology." He saw no red eyes, heard no flapping wings. "No bats, either. Definitely not the Batcave."

Roy smirked to himself as he hauled his quiver off it's hook on the wall and began to set up his stock of trick arrows; a domino mask was already pulled across his eyes. His costume had already been pulled on, the red hugging tight to his muscles. "We have a lot of arrows though."

"Very true." Making himself at home, Dick plopped on down in front of the computer and began to set to work, hacking past Queen's pitiful security and through any weak firewall that stood in his way. In a matter of minutes, Robin's training had surpassed the technological defenses. "Looks like you're dealing with him... robbing a bank? Okay, that's lame. Even The Riddler can do better than that..." Grayson gave a snort before continuing his reading up on the baddie. "He's got decent skills. Nothing compared to Penguin or Bane, but he could do a lot better than a bank, obviously."

He looked up. "Get offa there, would you?" His tone was scolding, not threatening at all, just warning. "We're trying to keep you away from all this. We don't want you involved in this lifestyle." He looked away. Sometimes he didn't even want to be involved in it. Too much drama, too much death. Just look at Batman... Without even a hint of warning... Gone. It came with the job. "It's for your own good."

The bird wasn't listening. The tapping of his fingers on tiny black keys and the captivation that held his focus kept him from even hearing Roy. "Bank's got diamonds though, so it's not too shabby of a catch." He turned in the chair abruptly, watching his brother with those intent baby blues. "You'll have to avoid severe injury to him so you don't bust the diamonds he's got. And you'll probably need a faster ride to Metropolis, so I would recommend the zeta-beam." He turned for a heartbeat, fingers finding exact keys without even thinking about it; the motions were fluid, automatic, precise. "Coordinates are already punched in for you." He smiled wryly to himself, happy to at least be helping. It was more than he'd done in a whole year. All it took as five short minutes...

"Dick..." But he couldn't bring himself to tell the boy no. "Behave until I'm gone, alright? Don't... Just don't touch anything, please." His voice actually held a little bit of begging in it. And as he stepped into the zeta-beam, quiver over his shoulder, costume pulled on, a blue light enveloped him and Metropolis began to materialize.

He'd have to say no later.

The former Boy Wonder looked at the cave walls, at the technology around him, at the chair he sat in, at the floor beneath him. And he smiled. It was like home. Just without a Batman.

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><p>"Done and done." Roy stepped back out of the zeta-beam to have the Arrowcave materializing around him. He tossed his quiver and the few arrows still within it to one side and searched the shadows of the cave for the form of Grayson. The way he figured, Richard wouldn't have left until the mission was over, that the kid would've been monitoring the whole thing from the computer and surveillance footage. He didn't have to look hard.<p>

A punching bag on one side of the cave had rattling chains and a beating sound, rhythmic like a heartbeat, as powerful as thunder.

He wished he could say no. "Dick, come on, please don't do that." Roy never thought he'd say please so many times in one day. "We're just trying to keep you sa-"

"You're always just trying to keep me safe." His fist connected with the bag, sand molding around his fist before returning to its form. Blue eyes flared with rage. "It's always about trying to keep me safe. It's what Bruce did, it's what my parents did." Another punch, this one stinging his knuckles a bit; still, he continued. "It's always trying to protect me from everything. That's what your life has become now."

Roy wasn't sure what was going on. He'd left for an hour, that was all. Had so much really happened in an hour? The kid was pissed, maybe more than that even. Livid? Sure, why not? He was beating the Hell out of Roy's punching bag, the poor thing. (The punching bag, not Dick.) His voice was almost accusing but most definitely furious. With himself or with the League, that was the question.

"I'll bet-" The punching bag got a nice roundhouse kick and even bent a bit from where the boy's foot had struck it. "-that if I wasn't human, I'd still be on the job, emotional issues or not." More punching, less words. Dick had to keep air in his lungs. "I know what you're all trying to do, keeping me away and stuff. Keeping me from getting hurt. Keeping everyone else from thinking, 'Shit, I should've been there to save Bruce for this kid.' Keeping me away from people in general so I can't lose anyone else. Let's face it, if anyone else died today, I'd probably lose my mind and end up like half the guys in Arkham."

There was no good way to respond to any of this. Roy was finding that out pretty quickly. Especially since the kid had just said "shit" for the first time Roy'd ever heard. His eyes were just trying to find rhyme or reason to it, what had set him off. The trigger was the hard part, putting him down was usually easier.

Then again, putting him down usually in involved a pillow and cereal rather than a punching back and a pair of fierce fists.

"Listen, I'm not with the Justice League enough to know-"

Another kick that landed perfectly. Roy could only imagine how much it would hurt if inflicted on a real body. Dick's voice emerged again, still raging. "Do you know how hard I trained? I've been at this for years. Being a hero is what I live for. It's not just a game like it is for Wally and Dinah and everyone else. You know what I mean. You've got the same issue I do." His knuckles were raw with pain. "The real world is just a blur if you're not a hero."

It only took a little bit to bring about Roy's thoughts. The kid was right. Their lives revolved around the hero. Richard Grayson and Roy Harper shaped Robin and Red Arrow. The former identities had been completely dissolved once the heroes had come forth from the darkness. Being the savior was all they had to live for. Their own lives were good enough that there was nothing left to care about in that realm; being vigilantes, there was always a challenge, something new, something exciting, something to make their adrenaline pump and to drive fear into their hearts and minds. Normal life wasn't enough to get that same sort of rush.

But it was something Dick had succumbed to in his weakness. Facing the real world had gotten hard and Robin had fallen because it was Richard Grayson who needed the attention. And now that Grayson was getting back on track, Robin was willing to rear his head again and tame the beasts of the night.

"All of my work is going to waste." Sweat dripped from his brow. His voice was breathy and growing weaker. "Bruce trained me so hard for all of this, and I'm letting him down. Not to mention that Gotham is a trainwreck because no one can seem to take care of anything properly." Disgust laced his words. "You guys need me back whether you know it or not."

Roy, taking matters into his own hands, pulled an arrow from the quiver still slung across his back, checked the tip for the right one, and shot down the punching bag. The chains clanged together as the massive body of sand fell to the floor and spilled open all over the cold concrete floor. When Grayson's cold blue glare was thrown his way, Roy could only give an order. "Upstairs. Now." Harper wasn't about to go against League orders. No Robin.

Not now, at least.

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><p><strong>AN: Review?**

**~Sky**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Bonus points to RiverStorm16 for noticing the opening sentence of Chapter 24. Although you didn't make the _full_connection. Would've been great if you had. Check out the first chapter again. Then reflect.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Again.**

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><p>"Hey."<p>

Dick did not look up. He did not move. He sat there stoically. A picture frame was in his hands, another on the bed beside him. Who he was missing today wasn't the question. It was who he was missing most at that very moment. He never thought of much else other than trying to move on or reflecting on the past. It was either the future or the past, never in the present. A year ago, if you'd asked him what he thought he'd be doing this time next year, he would've said kicking the Joker down the block and dropping him in a sewer somewhere.

That clearly wasn't what happened.

"Hey, look at me."

His fingers ran around the edges of the picture frame, the edge creating a little dent in his flesh, a long trench-like line along the pad of his thumb. He did not look up. Instead, deliberately, he kept his azure gaze on the picture of his Bruce, reliving the memories that were slowly slipping out of his grasp just as any hopes of going back to Robin were sliding away.

"Look at me." A harsh, mean tone had stolen and replaced Roy's gentle voice; he knew the kid was suffering, he wasn't stupid. It was how you dealt with it that defined you. He was very tempted to snap his fingers in the boy's face or to give him a swift smack on the back of the head, but where would that put him? He'd be just as bad as the others were. "I'm talking to you."

Those baby blues looked up to spill a single tear that stained a wet trail on his pallor cheek. Dick's lips were set in a stony frown, his head hurting from the longing and his fingers twitching from so many days of being completely worthless. Not just days, a whole year. A whole year had gone by since he'd done anything good for the world. He'd imposed on Superman and then Barry and now Green Arrow… He was being so useless! "Not like I matter."

A scowl passed Roy's lips. But what could he do? "You do matter!" He didn't actually say it. The kid played a huge role in everyone's lives. And if Dick didn't matter, then Batman didn't matter, Bruce didn't matter. Sure, Lucius Fox was running Wayne Enterprises and different heroes took care of Gotham now, but that didn't mean the memories of him could be lost.

And if Dick was lost, Bruce was too.

"What's really going on?" Maybe attacking the situation from a different angle would help. That usually worked on the job, what was so different now? A different angle, realistically, should provoke a different response or reaction. Getting a different response would create a way to get to him and get to the heart of the matter.

The boy, still keeping his gaze level with that of his caretaker, let his eyes grow hard. "I was trained to be busy every night, to entertain people, to keep them awake, to be exciting. Bruce directed that training elsewhere and turned me into this." He pointed to himself, this hardcore, emotionless, strong warrior of the night. "He gave me the ability to get over everything. All the hurt went away because what I learned before was being used and my life wasn't going to be a complete waste."

And it clicked for Roy, but he was quiet; he'd become accustomed to Dick not finishing off his speech right away.

"Look at me now, Roy." His jaw was tense, his eyes harder by the second. "I was raised to do something every minute of the day. I was never meant to go to school, I was never meant to live to be nothing. I was raised an entertainer, lived a hero, and now I'm the equivalent of a potato."

"Well, potatoes feed people."

Harper, if he hadn't been on his toes, would've taken a pillow to the face. Although it was better than taking a picture frame to the face, he had to admit.

"Dick, please don't do this to me." He'd tried smiling before that only to see the boy scowl enough to rival his mentor. The Batglare was threatening enough to silence anyone that stepped in its path. Now the redhead's face was painted with disappointment. "I want to help you. I know you need this, believe me. We're in the same boat. I had the same issue." Roy almost took another step into the room, but instead stayed in the doorway and watched the fourteen-year-old on the bed with gentle eyes, trying to break past the hard outer shell he was putting out. "You need to calm down. If the League sees you like this, your chances are shot."

Eye contact broke as shame flooded Grayson's face. His fingers ran over the faces in the pictures, broken memories. "Do you think I still stand a chance?"

Quiet for a long moment, his lips pursed. What _did_ he think? Well, he knew the kid still had the skills to make it in the hero world. He knew he had the determination, no question. It was whether he had his head in the game or not. Was he stable enough to get the job done? And how badly was he mentally scarred by watching his own father die because of that lifestyle?

There were a few ways to answer these questions, none would take too much time. It was just as simple as putting him through training. But doing that meant running the risk of being caught by Ollie. Ollie, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, would let the training slip to Dinah who would give Roy Hell for even thinking about training Dick to be Robin again. For even _thinking_ about it.

But putting him through just a little bit of training would give Roy a good idea of whether his mental capabilities were as strong as before and to see if he could manage being Robin again. It would only be to judge the kid's abilities after a year of being away from his cape and mask. A year. But he'd been trained for… ten years prior to this? Between the acrobatics of his parents and the crime fighting of Batman… He'd had more than enough practice. But retaining it for long periods of time…

The punching bag. That thing had taken a severe beating, not just from Roy's arrow, but from Grayson's punches. The thing had been shaking violently, almost shivering, with each hit and kick. It would've busted had he been hitting it any harder. Sand would've gotten everywhere. He had the physical strength for it, no question. He and Dick had been doing random push-ups sometimes just out of sheer boredom… or at least… that was how Roy had seen it…

"You stand a chance." He leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms across his chest, trying to look confident as he watched the boy's slow reaction to this.

Dick's eyes lit up. It took a few seconds, but they did, the baby blue shining like the sunlight on the ocean. His posture straightened, even if only a bit. His finger stopped rubbing the picture frame's outline. His lips, instead of curling downwards, became a straight line again, but did not smile. And Roy thought he detected even the faintest glimmer of hope in the kid.

"We'd just have to get you back to full power again." He knew the kid had gotten scrawny and smaller. Hell Yeah, he was still all muscle, no flab to be found, but he'd grown soft, no question. "Training you again. Making sure you have the right equipment. Getting you ready to pass League status. We're only human, but we can do it." Roy felt a flicker of a smile cross his face.

Yes, Dick definitely looked excited now. And he even put the picture down beside him and leaned over the edge of his bed, black hair, now longer, falling in his eyes as he reached under and pulled out a bag.

Roy recognized it. It was the one Dick had specifically asked to carry when he moved in. Ollie had been permitted to carry the other two. It was the only one that Roy hadn't helped unpack. His brow knit together as he watched Grayson quietly open the bag and pull out his utility belt and the black domino mask he'd grown up with. "You don't have to worry about my equipment." A faint, wan smile touched his lips and a certain sadness captured his eyes. A certain memory clouded his vision for a moment before passing like a cloud over the sun. "Bruce always told me never to go anywhere without my utility belt."

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><p><strong>AN: I would've expanded on this, but I felt like that sentence was good place to leave off. Review? Next chapter will be up soon. Just not this weekend. I got birthday stuff to do.**

**~Sky**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: I meant to answer reviews, but I'm short on time. My main concern is to get this chapter up. I wrote it up last night and edited last night, so tonight is just posting.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

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><p>The kid was still agile as ever, Roy quickly found out. He wasn't sure whether it was just all this pent up rage that kept Richard swinging at the (new) punching bag, or if it was just all that old strength suddenly being reborn. But the redhead let him go, just supervising and figuring that was his job. Keep the kid in line, don't let him out of sight, keep the costume away, let him have the belt. It was simple enough.<p>

And Roy even found time to play with his new blender. It was something he was very happy about.

"Harder with your left hook. Right arm is always stronger, can't falter with the left." His eyes analyzed the raven-haired boy's next strike. "If it's not strong enough, you're better off with getting away after a right punch, especially since you're faster than most."

"My left's never been good-" His breathing was harsh, and sweat rolled down his face in tiny glistening beads. "-but it's a lot worse now." He slashed an upper cut at the center of the bag, hitting a little higher than he'd aimed. He bit his lower lip hard and tried again with his left.

"We'll get it worked out." And that's what he had been saying for the past two weeks now to reassure both Dick and himself that this was going to work. Training him hard (and not letting Dinah know) would get Robin back in the League. The only problem they couldn't tackle in the Arrowcave was the mental stress of on-the-job scenarios. That was something that couldn't be simulated.

Then there was the problem of seeing how he'd work solo...

"Yeah." Another huff and another punch. His right fist connected, a bit of pain from the impact ripping up his arm. "We'll work on it." Instead of trying again, he took Roy's advice, landed one right punch, flipped back with a kick to the upper part of the bag and landed about a little over a meter away from his opponent. He stayed crouched on the ground for a moment, catching his breath, eyes on the floor beneath his hands and feet.

Roy brought water over, saying nothing for a long moment. He tapped the kid on the head with the bottle and Dick reluctantly reached up and took it, leaning back to sit down, one hand planted behind him for balance.

"Do you think it'll work?" asked Dick after rehydrating. His breathing was still a little sharp and uneven, but he was fine. Blue eyes watched Harper. "Will the League really take me back?"

"They'd better if they know what's good for 'em." Roy's tone was rough. His gaze watched the computer, almost waiting for some call to come in. Two days of peace for Red Arrow. It was like an hour without Wally being annoying: unusual. "I know that a lot of people would fight for you back. Wally, me, Artemis, Kal, a few others." He took a swig of his own water. "You're not alone in this."

Leaning back, Dick laid down on the floor. "It just feels like it sometimes." He stretched out his shoulders, pulling one arm across his chest until he felt the tension. Then the other. "And I don't want to be wasting your time. You have things to do, too."

A red brow raised. "Like?"

"Hero stuff, girls, college, sleep." Dick shrugged from his position on the floor, his hands now behind his head as a make-shift pillow. "You're nineteen. You have to do something with your life eventually."

"Hero stuff," he repeated from Grayson's first words. It was because that was the only goal Harper really had. His eyes narrowed to a mild glare. "Girls are too complicated, I don't need college, and really, do we ever get enough sleep?"

A smile.

"Exactly." He rolled his eyes. The kid knew how to get to him. "So what I do with my life is unimportant. We need to straighten you out so you can do something before you turn into me."

Another smile.

Just then, the computer began to buzz with the familiar tones of an alarm. Roy was instantly heading for his costume; Grayson was hauling his sore body off the ground and heading towards the machine to silence it. Once there, he began sifting through the new data of the mission. "We've got a case of Captain Cold at the Star City Museum. Holding fifty hostages in ice... while trying to bargain for a rare diamond which is... in the museum on the other side of the city." He began to formulate theories. "So this buffoon went to the wrong museum?" he asked, turning around in the big chair just as Roy was scrambling out of the changing area while trying to pull a shoe on. He fell flat on his face for a second, scowling only to see a smiling bird.

"Cold isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer," noted Harper as he shot a terse look at the kid. Part of him was grateful he had his own little servant to keep up on the little things, his apartment bills, his college applications, some other things like when he needed to eat… Roy was definitely grateful to keep that kid on his side while he worked. He snatched his bow off the wall and began to sort out his arrow, plenty of explosive ones. The more fire the better. Melting ice is the only way to do things. "Either way, I'll be back in about an hour."

"Best route already sent to the car since there that detour on ninety-second. GPS already turned on, locked and loaded." Blue eyes shone.

The archer looked up. Damn, the kid was good. He was such a damn good kid... Why anyone would let him be denied his happiness was beyond comprehension... He did what he was told, argued for what he thought was right, and helped even when he wasn't supposed to. Such a damn good kid...

Roy gave a sigh. "Behave while I'm gone" was his one request. He packed in the last arrow, caught the car keys when Dick threw them over, and headed out, not looking back. There was nothing to worry about.

He did, however, hear Grayson's faint call of "I won't!"

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><p><strong>AN: There you go. Short, yes, I'm perfectly aware. Next chapter should be more… emotional. And detailed. And in-depth. Unless I move it back a chapter, which I might. Anyways, review?**

**~Sky**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: This one felt a little awkward when I reflected on it, but I feel like I got what I wanted, plus the slight comic relief that I'm patching into this. So, um, sorry for OOCness of one character, but I'm struggling. I mean, I only have, what, a full twenty minutes of character to work with? Sorry I can't do her justice…**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Bite me.**

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><p>"Back, how was your day?" Roy tossed all his equipment to one side of zeta-beam entrance, knowing all too well that Dick, with all his OCD that had developed, would pick it up within the hour, rendering any attempt that Ollie made to get Dinah in a maid costume completely useless. "Mine was good, you know, knife to my throat." He peeled the domino mask from his face and slapped it onto a shelf before removing his shirt, ready to look over the bruises he'd gained through the course of the fight. He knew there was at least one on his shoulder, another on his abdomen, a third on his shin. "Lost contact with you about twenty minutes ago." He finally glanced up to look for Grayson after poking at a black and blue splotch near his navel. "Couldn't figure out why you weren't... answering..."<p>

Speak of the Devil's incarnation, Dinah had Dick firmly by the ear and was holding him away from the computer despite his protesting and his flailing. Her icy blue glare was stabbing Roy's guilty face like freshly sharpened knives. "Roy William Harper Junior, I swear to God, once Oliver gets home, you're a dead man."

Richard had frozen stiff; Roy had done the same, panic filling him like air in a balloon to the point of popping. He knew he could snap at any second. Yet it was the bird who took initiative.

He dropped and swung his foot under her, the woman toppling face-first into the floor. He heard her let out an enraged growl, but Dick was already flipping away. He stood no chance against her, but maybe this sort of strategy could-

She was up and moving towards him a moment later. His reaction time was delayed, but he managed to just barely crunch himself down before throwing himself in a graceful flip right over her blonde head, landing perfectly on the other side already delivering a punch to her back and another up closer by her neck. Just getting her on the ground was good enough, but if he could beat a powerhouse-

Lance crumpled forward again, but caught herself with the momentum, spinning around and letting her heel and her locked knee stop her fall. Furious blue eyes narrowing, a cry resonated from her lips, the screech echoing through the cave like the shrieks of a thousand angry bats. She watched as the former Boy Wonder keeled over and curled up, holding his head. Dinah stood upright again, dusted off for a second, and moved in towards Roy rather than Richard. She knew which one deserved the punishment; she was no fool.

Shirtless and standing there as his protégé had tried to take down Black Canary, his foster father's girlfriend, Roy was completely speechless, a first for him. He couldn't quite fathom what all was happening, especially when he saw a small, quick hand lash out and snatch the blonde's ankle right out from under her, sending her to the floor once more.

Richard hauled himself back up and stood over Dinah, ready to fight whatever she was going to throw at him. His fists were clenched, and adrenaline coursed through his system faster than Barry could run.

"Dick, stop." Roy's command was authoritative; it was the first time the raven-haired boy had heard him talk like that. Like a leader. Richard backed away with a bit of fear lingering in his soft blue eyes. He could only watch as Roy lifted Dinah to her feet, and the woman glared in the redhead's direction. The blame would not fall on Dick.

She ripped her arm out of Roy's careful grasp, rage seething off of her like smoke from a flame. Her blue eyes flared with ferocity. "You trained him again, didn't you?" was her hiss. It wasn't because she was mad at him, exactly, more because he was directly disobeying Justice League orders. And because he was going to bring back a kid that just needed out. "Harper, we told you not to." She jabbed a finger into his naked chest, face getting all up in his. "We told Barry not to. We warned Wally against it. Clark was the only one we didn't have to worry about, but that's because he's about as useful as a sack of potatoes when it comes to raising kids, just look at Conner! We come to you and Ollie as friends and because humans think alike, but you can't even manage that, can you?"

Roy didn't shy away, didn't hide his face. He was guilty, she knew it, why try to avoid the issue? Besides, the kid had fought his way to the top in the start, who was Roy to shoot down his chances now?

But Dinah wasn't done ranting yet. "We're trying to get him back to normal so he doesn't get hurt again. In this line of work, we're all put on death row each time we head out for a field job. This is not an incident we want to repeat, understand?"

"Yeah, I understand," challenged Roy. He'd already practically confessed to murdering Grayson's normalcy. Why not fight for the kid's right to be a hero? That's what all the training was for anyways, right? "But I'm pretty sure normal was thrown out the window by Bruce, not me. Not to mention how I was the last to know. Nothing is alright around here, I don't know what you're thinking! Normal doesn't exist when you're a hero." His face was pulled into a tight grimace. Darkness haunted his eyes. He understood. She never would. "You wouldn't get it, but when you're human, when you've got nothing to live for and all the time in the world, losing this second life is the same as dying."

She could see the aggression in his blue-green eyes. "Roy, you're only digging yourself a deeper grave."

"I asked him to let me train again." The broken bird stepped out the shadows, the darkness encompassing him like wings of the night. "It's not his fault. He just gave me access to the Arrowcave and gave me a few pointers on little things. Roy didn't do anything." Sincerity was in the air about him, strong and honest. "I started it. I deserve the blame."

Some part of her wanted to laugh because she wanted to pin the blame on Roy so badly. Another part of her completely understood everything the boy was going through, losing his father, switching between houses as if moving between divorced parents, living a different lifestyle each time, sometimes flourishing, sometimes dying. Dinah had noticed how he'd changed. He was strong now. Richard was ready to take on the world again.

Just maybe not as Robin.

Yet not even she was stupid enough to ignore League orders. Very few things trumped the United States Constitution. Justice League rules were one of those few things.

The woman reached into her pocket and produced a Zippo lighter. She flipped it open and rested her finger on the thumbwheel, perfectly aware of what she was doing. With a flick of her thumb, flame came to the scene. The first Dick had seen in a whole year.

Fire.

Fire that had stolen his father.

"Don't do that!" Roy smacked it away from Dinah. "You don't know what's good for him!"

"And you do?" she challenged right back, sapphire eyes blazing. "You're teaching him how to betray direct orders from the Justice L-"

"He never listened to Bruce anyways!" pointed out the redhead, quick to fight her. "What's the difference? You, me, Batman, we're all just names in the book. He doesn't listen to anyone if you haven't noticed!"

A sneer snatched Lance's taut lips. "That doesn't mean you have to allow it," she snarled, giving his bare chest a quick shove so he was no longer in her face after the confrontation. "We're trying to fix him, not make the mental damage worse. You aren't helping, which means he can't stay here anymore."

About halfway through, Harper had stopped listening. Her words had fallen silent, but he was moving towards the ebony-haired child who was still as stone and scared to death. The lighter was on the ground, but Roy could see in the child's eyes that his mind was still captured by fire just as it was by tightropes and circus tents sometimes. The older reached for the younger and pulled him close, just trying to help. He felt tears on his skin before he heard the broken bird's quiet sobs. "It's okay," he murmured, running his calloused hands through the boy's hair and rubbing worn fingers along his spine in an attempt to comfort him. "It's gonna be okay."

The man of being in the wrong place at the wrong time walked into the room, the Emerald Archer making his way into the Arrowcave with a puzzled look on his face. "Do I want to know what's going on?" he asked, mostly trying to fathom why one of his sons didn't have a shirt on.

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><p><strong>AN: Black Canary would probably kick my ass if she read how I was writing her, but shit, she's impossible. I envision a bad ass, but I feel like I'm completely wrong… Um… Feel free to rant, but I'd prefer it to be constructive. Sorry that I'm not familiar with the character… Either way, reviews are good... Thanks for reading.**

**~Sky**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Ah, I adore this fic. Really. Especially since I have an end goal to it. It always makes writing easier. Anyways, for you avid readers out there, I have a playlist for this on my Facebook fanpage. All you have to do is search my penname, find my notes, and check it out. It goes in order of themes and places. So yeah. May even make it into a playlist on my YouTube channel.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p>He dropped his bag on the floor, the one now empty, onto the cave's floor. Roy put the other two next to it. "Manhunter said he'll be here to take you up to the Watchtower soon," said the archer with a bit of venom in his words. Of course Canary had told. And Barry and Clark, with very minor input from Ollie, had decided that strict League supervision was better than being babysat by someone who would let him get away with anything. "You could probably get there on your own if you wanted to, but please just stay here for now. I'm sure Meg and Conner are around here somewhere."<p>

"Maybe there'll even be cookies." Depression had sunk back in. Leaving Wally had been pretty bad. It was like relapsing all over again. Give him medicine and snap it all away so he could get sick all over again. His voice was haunted and dull; he was lifeless.

Roy's heart was already aching. Letting go of the kid he could practically call a son... He'd only been training him. Was it such a crime to try and help the kid recover? The archer knew how he'd been after losing Brave Bow. Come on, life sucks when you have nothing more to live for, everyone knew that. Roy could just relate especially well. And he knew how Dick had gone from orphaned acrobat to Robin. Training, channeling emotions, an internal war. Harper had only been doing necessary repairs to mentally heal the kid.

Now they were ripping away his medicine again. For some people, fighting could be considered healthy. Especially for Richard.

"Keep your head up, behave, and eat all the cookies you can get your little mitts on." He rubbed a hand into the fourteen-year-old's raven locks. "You deserve it." Everything seemed to be caving in. He was losing his best friend, his apprentice, his little trooper... Such a damn good kid...

With a faux smile, Dick swatted away his mentor's hand and gave the older teen a nice hard shove. "Then they shouldn't be moving me again." Although he tried so hard to push it away, frustration kept on seething from behind his gritted teeth. "Doesn't my opinion matter?"

"It does." Roy unleashed a pent up sigh. A burden of guilt and hurt lay heavy on his broad shoulders. "Just not to the League. When you play with the big dogs, you're always gonna get eaten because we don't matter in the grand scheme of things."

Dick's fists clenched inside his jacket pockets. "All my training is being wasted, the assholes."

"I just told you to behave." Dick received a swift but gentle swat on the back of the head. "Can you please keep the language under wraps and the depression to a minimum? We don't want me to look like a bad guardian." A half smile touched Roy's usually sharp and serious features. "I'm still gonna try to get you back. We don't give up without a fight, Grayson. You of all people should know that."

This smile was genuine but sad. "Good luck beating the Justice League," murmured the acrobat. "If they won't listen to me, there's no way they're going to listen to you." His blue eyes found his friend. "But thanks for trying."

Fist held out, Roy said, "I'll win somehow, kid. I promise you that."

His hopeless sigh was released, and Dick tapped his own fist to Harper's. "Don't make promises you can't keep." His blue eyes were serious as he looked up to the redhead. "This is reality, Roy, not some kind of sick fantasy where Bruce is really alive and where you can change the League's mind with a magic spell or by snapping your fingers."

"If I could, I would." The words were sincere.

Overhead, Mount Justice's systems were announcing the arrival of J'onn J'onzz. "Martian Manhunter, 07." The green form of the telepath walked in as if gliding like a ghost.

"Richard."

Roy smoothed the teen's hair once more and gave him a smile that said "I'm so sorry" before taking a step away from the boy and his bags. Guilt was practically ripping him apart inside; it almost felt like a demon's claws were shredding his innards and setting everything on fire. The pain of knowing it was his fault was ruining him. "We brought all his stuff."

In about a nanosecond, all the bags were levitating. "Thank you, Red Arrow." Roy was even in his civvies. "I'll be sure that he gets settled in at the Watchtower properly." There was no warmth in the green man's voice. Clearly the archer was still in some serious shit with the Justice League. And Manhunter began to move towards the zeta-beam teleporter, bags floating close behind him as if on invisible leashes.

Richard let his eyes fall on the cold tile ground and shoved his hands in his pockets. He walked quickly towards the teleporter, trying to keep his head and heart in check. He wished he could cling to Roy and never let go or hide in Mount Justice, take out all the sensors, have Megan block out his brainwave activity. He could just hide here with some extra work. But he really wanted to latch onto Roy. He didn't want to let go. And some nights, that was how it had been...

_"Do you have to go?" Pain ripped up his shattered arm, and he winced while still trying to get up to grab his father. "I mean, I can come with. Just don't-"_

_"Dick, you of all people know that I have to go." Bruce's tone was gentle with his injured son. He brushed a few stray black hairs out of the ten-year-old's cobalt eyes. A faint smile tugged one corner of his mouth upwards. "The Joker can't be left out there with his laughing gas spreading. This one is supposed to leave people in comas after they finally stop giggling like the main maniac himself." Wayne's azure orbs landed on the kid's busted up arm, and he shied away, knowing the blame fell on him for getting his ward hurt so badly. Both bones in his left forearm had been shattered after falling three stories, not to mention his bruised ribs and the multiple cuts and scrapes of knives and broken glass. "I'll be back soon, alright?"_

_The desperation to keep his father close was evident. His eyes were glowing with worry, his grip on his guardian's uniform was tight, and his lower lip was quivering ever so slightly. He was willing to let go, but letting Batman out on his own against such a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands... He felt like he was leaving his mentor vulnerable. "I can come," he pleaded desperately, voice small. "I can help. I'll be a distraction!" He knew his limitations all too well. Losing a leg would've been better than losing his left arm. His good arm made a sweeping gesture like he was painting a headline on an invisible billboard. "Dick Grayson distracts Joker for a Batman victory!"_

_Bruce carefully pushed the broken bird back into the infirmary's plush bed. "You need to rest," he told the boy. "Dick Grayson isn't going anywhere and neither is Robin. I need both of you to stay in this bed tonight." A reserved smile touched his usually hard features._

_With a clinging hand, Richard held onto the emblem plastered on his guardian's uniform. "Can you promise to come back tonight?" Desperation was glowing fiercely in his cobalt orbs._

_"Joker may be an overnight job," murmured Bruce, fingering his costume's rubbery mask. He would have to put the air filters into it before he left. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Richard."_

_"Promise." It was a command; his countenance was hard as steel, eyes determined. Even in his current state, he looked like a warrior. The cast on his arm never took away from his unnatural grace and his perfect eloquence. He didn't want to let go of Bruce. Not yet. "Promise you'll come back home tonight."_

_It was a gentle, loving sigh when Wayne said, "I promise." Like a father, he tousled his ward's hair and headed off, pulling his cowl back on to face the Gotham night once more._

_It was at the last second he remembered the air filters. They'd saved his life that night._

There would always be a promise that Bruce couldn't keep.

Richard fought the tears welling in his eyes as he waited for the teleporter to steal him and J'onn up into space and onto the Watchtower. Being the first partner up to the Watchtower would've made him elated had he actually cared. He almost smiled upon realizing that he really just wanted to keep his feet on Earth and stay the Hell away from the damn Watchtower.

Roy watched in pain as a flash of blue swallowed the Dark Knight's son.

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><p><strong>AN: So… review?**

**~Sky**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Kind of a short chapter, but the lack of dialogue is really just Dick not wanting to interact with the people who are treating him like he's nothing.**

**Also, with NaNoWriMo, I'll try to update at least once a week, but no promises.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

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><p>He felt like he was trapped, a prisoner in a metal box. And not the padded kind. "So this is the Watchtower," he said as his bags fell to the ground as J'onn released his telekinetic hold. Richard's gaze looked out one of the windows as he slung a heavy bag over one shoulder. The sight of Earth rolling around below him sent a chill down his spine; it was a terrible reminder of how far away he was from Wally and Roy and any other life. Trapped in the empty void of space. Way to baby-sit, Justice League.<p>

"Yes." The other bag, the lighter one, was picked up once more with Manhunter's levitation. His blackish eyes watched the boy peer out the window with one hand in his pocket and the other tight on the first bag's nylon strap. "The real Justice League headquarters."

"Yep," said Dick with a hint of contempt in his voice. "Since you guys lie to everyone and make them think it's really the Hall of Justice." The flicker of amazement in his eyes turned to hatred very quickly. He'd already hit Black Canary and displayed his obvious wanting to get back on the job. Why they kept him in his civilian shackles was still a mystery. He could deal with it. He wanted to get back in the game, to recover his own way, find a new partner. Roy didn't want Ollie? Robin would be happy to work under Red Arrow. An awkward team-up, but it was better than being trapped under Dick Grayson all the time. Another life to escape to was something he desperately needed. To a certain extent, Robin was all that had kept him alive after his parents' deaths.

Martian Manhunter brushed it off, pretending not to notice. If this kid got to him, they'd all be in trouble. He'd already manipulated Red Arrow, and Kid Flash, to a certain extent. "I will show you to your quarters."

For some reason, Dick felt like his life had become a scratched CD where it always repeated that one part over and over and over again. How many rooms had he been in? Mount Justice for three weeks of the living dead, Clark Kent's spare bedroom for three weeks, Barry Allen's guest room for about eight and a half months, and one of Oliver Queen's many spare rooms for another month and a half. He'd been moving from place to place for about a year now. "Put away your stuff, kitchen's here, tv's here, make yourself at home, yada yada." He knew the drill all too well. It almost scared him how he knew what the green man was going to say before he even knew; Dick wasn't even a mind reader.

With a quiet cough, J'onn began to move through the halls, cape fluttering out behind him like a wing on a dying butterfly. "Your quarters are here," he said after approaching a solid steel door not far from where they'd entered on the zeta-beam pad. Pressing a hand to the keypad, the door slid open like the ones at PetSmart that always seemed to scare the dogs.

Dark. Quiet. Gray walls, gray blankets, gray pillows, a lonely lamp with a pale cream shade, a black closet, and a classic wooden desk in one corner. He almost felt like he was stepping into Clark's guest room again. Queen at least let Roy have fun with color. But something was different here.

The smaller bag was levitated into the windowless space. It was promptly dropped on the pitiful desk. "I'll-" J'onzz cleared his throat loudly. "I'll let you get settled in. I'm assuming you can change the hand lock on your own?"

"Yeah, no problem, John." Something tightened in the pit of his stomach at saying Manhunter's alias's name. "I'll take care of it in a few." He stepped into the room, letting the full force of this new place hit him fast and hard. It was musky, like nothing had been washed. Dick listened to the clicking of the alien's blue boots as he left to go check on something else in the station. Cobalt eyes looked at the gray and the black and simplicity and embraced it. He dropped the bulkier bag, the one Roy had shoved the Boy Wonder's costume and belt into at the last second, onto the floor's plush black carpet. It didn't take long for the boy to flop down on the bed and breathe in his mentor's smell. It was everywhere. The pillows still carried Bruce's musky scent, and the air was filled with the feel of darkness. It was tangible. Bruce had lived here; Dick would know.

He clutched at the blankets and prayed that they would never stop smelling like this. His heart throbbed in his chest as tears pricked at the corners of his azure eyes, crystalline diamonds ready to streak down his pale cheeks. Grayson swallowed hard, telling himself he wasn't allowed to cry. There was no Wally here. There was no Roy. No one would be here to pick him up. No one would be here to take care of him. Just himself and whoever was playing babysitter for the day. This wasn't a home; this was daycare. This was supposed to be the next four years of his life? The Justice League was a joke. None of them deserved partners. Not. One.

Not to mention the cruel torture they were putting him through right now. Him in Bruce's room, an endless reminder of how his father was gone, of how he'd lost everything he'd ever cared about. It was either a terrible mistake or a deliberate punishment designed to turn him away from the hero lifestyle forever.

Knowing the damn Justice League, it was probably the latter.

Fists balled up in gray fleece blankets and cheeks stained with glittering tear trails, the boy sucked in the cold, lifeless air around him. This was going to be a long summer, and it was only May. A pang of longing for Gotham came back and smacked him like a ton of bricks. He swallowed it down. No one to pick him up. No one to hold him. Alone. Completely alone. No Roy. No Wally. No Barry. No one.

"Suck it up, Grayson." He sat up and looked at the room around him. He'd get posters. Aerosmith, maybe. Tom Petty? The emptiness was ready to suck him in if he didn't do something fast... He'd make it work. He had to. Or else he'd go mad in this prison. Madder than the Joker, even. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, breathing in Bruce's scent one last time. "Deal with it." He got up and began to fix the hand lock so it would recognize Richard Grayson instead of Bruce Wayne.

Tears still stung his eyes.

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave a review.**

**~Sky**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: This really needs to be updated. This next stretch is going to be the hardest bit to write. But after this, the next phase is closing up the story. So bear with me. This is going to be near impossible to write, but I'll give it my all.**

**By the way, if I botch something, I apologize. I don't have all my superhero facts because I only search what I need to, but I try to learn as much as I can from different sites before going on and writing it. So forgive me and correct me if I get anything wrong.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p>It was like a carousel, the way they came and went. Decorated horses going by day in and day out.<p>

One day, Barry would be hanging around and making popcorn, chattering on and on about how the team was fighting some alien invasion on another planet or how Iris had made nasty meatloaf the night before. And he and Dick would settle in and watch a movie, something with the message of friendship between the lines of it. Once, he even brought in a 'My Little Pony' movie

The ponies did not amuse Richard.

Diana was around a lot. She stayed away from Dick more than he would've expected her to since she and Batman were once an item. He could only shrug it off; what would have lasted had his father lived?

Dinah, on the other hand, was around specifically to keep an eye on the bird, to make sure he was staying out of trouble. She watched from the shadows when he and Barry watched movies, and she was ever-present when he was in the gym, just watching for any signs of Robin coming back to the surface after being down under the water for so long. But she would just watch him lift weights or hit around the punching bag for a few minutes, no signs of acrobatics coming back out. She was at ease with the new healing process.

Clark even came around sometimes, which was a true shock. If he wasn't at home half the time, how did he manage to get to the Watchtower? Oh right, he was _Superman_. He always had time for _Superman_ things.

The other members cycled in and out, but Barry was probably there the most, Green Arrow the least. Dick would know. He had been put in charge of keeping a log on who was at the Watchtower at what times. Dinah had given it to him to keep him busy.

The one fun thing Dick found was how the Watchtower had so many toys. Between the computers, the passwords on said computers, the weapons in the safe, the gym, and the duct systems, Dick didn't always know what to do with himself.

He would check his email first thing in the morning, that was a given. Roy would always have sent him like five things by the time he woke up. Of course, the timestamps read about four AM, which was totally Roy, and the contents were always "I'm going to kill them all for this" and "I've searched the manor, like, five times, and I still can't find that damn will".

Dick didn't care too much. As long as Roy was putting in the effort. As long as someone was trying, that was all that mattered to him.

The rest of the day would consist of eating at random intervals and crawling through the ducts to get anywhere rather than using the regular hallways. No one was around to scold him for it. He was a boy without limits. And he'd indulge in his duct-crawling as long as he could, before he wouldn't fit anymore. He was fourteen and he was already feeling a little cramped while crawling around. And if he was going to get anywhere near his father's size, the vents would be a mere memory in the near future.

He dreaded the day when such pleasures became lost memories…

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><p>Hal Jordan rubbed his hand in the kid's hair as he walked past the boy to get to the room where he would take on monitor duty. Zatara had called him and asked for his watch to be taken over. And not like Hal had anything better to do. "What've you been up to?" he asked as the teen trotted alongside of him, hands in his pockets as he looked up to the older hero. "I haven't seen you in, what, two days?"<p>

"Well." Richard pulled one hand out of his pocket and began to count on his fingers everything he'd done in the past two days. "Yesterday I snuck into Uncle B's room and downloaded his hard drive onto a USB, I tried to contact J'onn on Mars, but he didn't answer me, and I was on the phone with Wally for about three hours." He shrugged after curling his three fingers back into his palm and shoving that fist back into his pocket. An afterthought was added. "Oh, and I was on monitor duty for Wonder Woman. She said it'd be good for me to watch over the world for a few hours."

Jordan pressed two fingers to his temple. Yesterday, Diana had been off with Clark for a little while. He knew all too well that she was really just using the kid to get out of her League duties. It was easy enough; he was willing and eager, and all the heroes had to do was ask. It was pathetic how easily they all could just take advantage of him as they pleased. "You really shouldn't be doing that."

"But I want to." He looked up and forced a smile. "If I were old enough to be Batman, I'd be sitting there and doing it anyways." But he wasn't old enough. He wasn't strong enough, he wasn't fast enough, he wasn't good enough. He knew that. The hard facts of life were tough to face, but he would face them if he had to. "So what's the difference?"

Number One: Dinah would kill Diana. Which would end badly for all the League.

Number Two: It was instigating Richard to go back to Robin.

"Please don't do that anymore." He was only trying to help. And it pained Hal to tell the kid to keep away from monitor duty. He saw how the boy's face grew suddenly dark and how his head turned away. Jordan swallowed hard. He was only trying to help. "No matter who offers you what, just don't do it."

"Well I'm supposed to be taking it over for a few hours for GA in about…" Dick closed one eye and did a quick calculation. "Five hours."

That was when Hal's shift ended. He ruffled the teen's hair again and blinked slowly before asking again, "Please don't do it." And then something occurred to him. "Here." He pulled off his ring and handed it to the kid. "Keep yourself busy. Just don't break anything, that's all I ask." He offered a nice smile and then tousled the orphan's hair yet again before leaving the kid behind.

Dick held the ring, blue eyes wide behind the sunglasses he'd once again adopted. He looked at the man walking away. Back to the ring. Quietly, he slipped it on his finger. The first thing he thought of was a giant hammer.

The better to whack a Wally with. That was, if he were allowed out of the Watchtower and down to Central. But no, he had to have a supervisor at all times when leaving his new "home". Black Canary's orders. He was growing to like her less and less every day.

But now he had Green Lantern's ring. He could make whatever he wanted. He had the power of his imagination at his fingertips.

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><p>Five hours and an call to Green Arrow later, Jordan stepped off of monitor duty, letting Oliver take his place, grumbling about missing his chili cook-off.<p>

Now he actually had something to do before just taking a quick zeta trip back home. He had to find the kid and get his ring back. If he left it at the Watchtower with a kid holding more than a few grudges, Hal figured some shit would hit the fan. And whose ring would the trace it back to? Exactly.

He listened carefully for any signs of the kid. He was bound to be nearby. Hal wasn't sure where all he hid in the Watchtower. Of course, if he asked Barry, the speedster would surely know. But he couldn't ask Allen. He wasn't around.

After pacing through the halls for a few minutes, he managed to pick up the faint sounds of bird-like chatter through the ducts. He followed the sound, pressing his ear to every vent he could find just to follow the sound of the voice.

Twenty-seven vents later, he found himself outside of Batman's old room, listening to the quiet voice of a bird on the other side of the door. He sighed and pressed his palm to the lock before watching the door slide open.

A glowing green Batman stood inside.

The glasses discarded and fear spread across his pale face, Dick turned away from his glowing mentor to the hero at the door. The real one. The one that wasn't just a spawn of his imagination. He bit his lower lips and ducked his head. There were so many things he could've done with the ring, and he'd used it just to make his mentor there again, just so he could speak with Bruce just a little bit more. Just so maybe he wasn't talking with himself anymore. He released his hold on his imagination and watched the green Batman evaporate into the dark air of his room. The space fell back into a coma of darkness. Dick pulled off the ring and moved to the door, dropping it in the palm of Jordan's hand. "I'm sorry."

Hal would never exactly understand what he saw, but he knew there was a hurt boy being housed in the Watchtower. And there was no one there to keep him away from any of it. He was there alone with his imagination. And a glowing green Batman.

The door was shut from the inside. It clicked with a lock. No sound came from the inside.

Hal clutched the ring for a moment before sighing, surrendering to the fact that there was nothing he could do. He couldn't bring back Batman. He couldn't fix the kid. He put the ring back on his finger and moved on. He had to ask Dinah to do _something_ for Dick.

He wasn't sure how much longer the kid would be able to hold out when he was holed up in such a prison.

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><p><strong>AN: Because giving Dick the Green Lantern ring was just too good to pass up. In the Watchtower, I have a lot of options, just need more time and information to get the actual chapter written out.**

**In the meantime, a review would be nice. Thanks for reading.**

**~Sky**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Long time, no write. Pfft. Had to decide if I wanted to write it this way or that way, and I decided on this way. So here goes nothing.**

**Sidenote: No, not all of these are happening simultaneously. First part is a flashback (sort of), the second one is next day, and third piece is… irrelevant to either of them, but still fits in since you all keep harassing me about this particular part of the plot that I seem to be "ignoring". I know what I'm doing. I just hate how ten different people keep saying stuff about it. So I'm taking care of it. Right now.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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><p>The first thing he did with the ring was take the giant hammer to the empty cafeteria. The giant green weapon barely fit through the door, but Dick managed to get it through. His first order of business: smash the vending machine.<p>

It wasn't that he'd grown destructive, it was that last week, the damn thing had stolen his dollar. And he didn't exactly have a ton of cash on hand. Then it ate his other dollar. And then another. And then another. So it owed him some cash. Normally, he wouldn't get violent over something so petty, but it was a machine, not a person. Completely different circumstances by his standards.

It only took two good hits to bust the thing open. He scooped up what he deemed he'd earned and went back to his room to hide the stash before Barry found out that the machine was open. Barry would have a heyday with the busted machine's contents.

Dick's second order of business: sneaking into Black Canary's room.

She'd pissed him off a few too many times. Denying him any chance of being Robin, taking control of his life, ruining everything. She'd turned from a role model to his worst enemy in less than a year. Of course, he partially blamed himself for it. He had tried to punch her. More than once. In his mind, she deserved anything he could deliver.

After he'd gotten inside, he'd lost the heart. He couldn't terrorize someone like that. All he would've done would mess it up. It was dark inside, and he got lazy and used the ring to create a giant finger to flip the light switch on with. A light flickered overhead for a moment before illuminating an obviously feminine space. Sloppy, but feminine. He knew it was hers from the picture frames on the tables.

One of Dinah and Ollie. Sexual, of course, what other way was there with them? He ignored that and continued to lurk, shuffling around, out of place.

And then there was a picture of Dinah and Bruce. There was a collection of others around it, Barry sticking his tongue out at Hal, Ollie giving Roy a wet-willie at a younger age, one or two of Dick with Kid Flash and the red-haired archer. But the one with Bruce immediately caught his gaze. He stalked over quietly and picked it up, some part of him wanting to steal it, keeping the memories of Bruce all to himself, but he wasn't that cruel.

That, and the green glow that lit up the room behind him. His first reaction was that Stewart had come alone, the second, that Hal was coming for him for smashing the vending machine. Dick spun, about to apologize for everything, when he found his mentor there, lurking, a green ghost.

He tried to shake it off. He knew it wasn't good. He knew. It wasn't healthy, it wasn't good, he couldn't be doing this, no more, nomore nomoreplease-

He shook his hand and hoped that the light would fade away and that the apparition would disappear. Dick knew this wasn't supposed to be happening. He was being greedy; that wasn't right, he was a hero, not some sappy kid out of a Hallmark movie. He couldn't be thinking like this. But he couldn't shake it. He couldn't get Bruce off his mind. Shame clouded his mind like a fog, but it still wouldn't get rid of Batman's specter standing there in that jade glow.

So he did all he could think of. Hide. Himself and Batman. He hacked the door back open and let himself out, leaving the lights on behind him. The panic and shame knocked away most of his common sense. He bolted for his own room, hoping that no one else was around. Had the intercom system announced any new arrivals? He hadn't heard anything. But had he been listening? Shivering with fear, he pressed his hand to his own lock, watching the glittering ghost follow him along and he pulled the specter in fast before locking the door up tight and hoping Hal wouldn't know what was going on. No one could know. He would be viewed as weak, no self-control. Dick curled up in his bed for a long moment, a pillow pulled over his head as he tried to make it go away, telling the ghost that it was nothing more than his imagination; that was exactly what it was.

He couldn't stop thinking about Bruce. And it wouldn't go away.

It just wouldn't go away.

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><p>"You're killing him."<p>

"We're keeping him away from society. Dick Grayson can't be exposed to the media while he's healing."

"You clearly missed the interview he did."

Her anger flared up, hot as the sun. Rage glimmered in her azure orbs. "Oliver Queen-"

"He was off with you." Hal knew he was winning this battle. So far, at least. Dinah wasn't the kid's mother; she had no idea how to take care of him. None of them did, really. Neither had Bruce, for that matter, but he'd managed to give them a damn good kid and a damn good hero. "Roy was watching out for him." If Hal still had the clipping from the newspaper, he would've shoved it in her face and probably added in a snarky remark while he was at it. If he could just make her see what she was doing by imprisoning him, maybe he could save the baby bird from himself. "Roy took care of him that whole time. Roy's trying to take care of him."

"Roy's turning him back into Robin." Dinah tried to calm her breathing. She was about ready to start hissing and spitting like a cat, but she couldn't start losing her cool, not when she had the control she needed to keep Robin under wraps. "He needs to stay away from that."

"And you put him in the Watchtower?" One of Hal's brows quirked upwards. Barry had even mentioned it. As had Clark, a surprise to many Leaguers. Roy had been all over it, but he'd had more of an aggressive attack on the whole ordeal. Then again, that was what Red Arrow had turned him into.

She was seething, but she knew he'd put her in her place at some point. He continued quietly, "Dinah, if you really want to take care of him, give him someone who can live up there permanently with him, a friend. It's summer, it'll be fine." His eyes grew soft. "He just needs family." Hal knew who his family was. His friends. The Justice League. Anyone who was permanent. Like Bruce had been. Bruce had been permanent for the boy; it was what Richard had needed after losing everything that Haley's had once offered him. "Give him something more."

Arms folded across her chest and eyes still furious, Black Canary forced herself to settle down. Her eyes averted from his. She was wrong about some things, and this had been one of those things. The Watchtower was the best place for him, Leaguers around almost all the time, family always cycling in and out. It kept him away from the media, kept him safe. That was what Dinah wanted for him. She wanted him safe from the public eye. The Watchtower could do that. But what it was lacking was someone permanent.

"I'll see what I can do." Reluctantly, she began to put the boy's friends in a line-up to see who could deal with living away from society and yet still manage to be a good enough friend for him. And none of them seemed to fit that label.

Kaldur'ahm was too distant. He'd had problems with being away from Atlantis for too long. Not to mention the fact that he was leading the team. That was definitely a problem. She couldn't tear the leader away from his team.

M'gann. Too… spacy…? Canary couldn't pinpoint it, but she knew the green girl and the bird would probably have more problems than anything. Also, tearing the girl with the dream to be on earth away from the planet was like asking for some sort of breakdown from the telepath. Dinah wouldn't risk it.

Conner… Completely off-limits, not even an option. Moody teenage boy plus moody teenage boy equals two moody teenage boys and a bucketful of problems.

The most available option, Wally, was untouchable. Pulling the young speedster out of his own healing process would recreate the problem they had the first time. They'd get in the way of each other. Keeping Dick at Roy's house was fine because Wally could still be around and still hang out and both would still get the attention they needed, Dick getting the love he so deeply desired and Wally would get the flawless family he deserved. Pulling Wally out of the family setting would pull him out of recovery.

The final choice, Artemis, was… not terrible. But Canary knew what the archer had done. Before taking a punch at the bigger bird, Dick had been sparring with Artemis. The girl had been spurring him on the same as Roy had. She'd gotten a good scolding after Grayson had been escorted out, but Dinah knew that she wasn't going to be very good. And she didn't know the chemistry the two had as friends, let alone living together in the same place. Then there was the problem of Artemis's mother… It was too hard to move the young archer to the Watchtower to watch over the child.

"Good," said Hal, glad he'd won something. Even if it was only a small battle, he'd won it. He let out a heavy sigh and began to retreat to where Barry was twitching, hungry for tacos. The man fingered his ring before letting the zeta take him.

Dinah rubbed her temple as soon as the two were gone; she would have to figure _something_ out…

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><p>Between dusty picture frames and dusty halls, he felt like his world was made of dust. There were never any ashes in the fireplace, never any new weapons down in the cave, no ever-present buzzing of police scanners. It was an empty home. No, not a home. A house. With only one resident. A lost father, a lost grandfather. A lost friend.<p>

Alfred had been attached to the manor. Somewhere along the line, he'd been tied to it so deeply that maybe he was considered something like a slave, property that belonged with this plot of land. He hadn't left since Master Bruce's death. His loyalty ran too deep.

He had raised the man who would become Batman. There was once a Bruce Wayne, younger than Master Richard even, who would run down the halls and pretend like he was an airplane or race down the hallways like a regular boy should. Those were the memories that Alfred hung onto.

Quietly, he moved through the house. He tried to ignore the way he thought he could sometimes hear Master Richard's laugh echo through the hallways. When he cleaned the Batcave, he pretended like he didn't remember the screams of pain when one of his family was wounded and the other was doing the patchwork. While dusting Master Bruce's room, he ignored the way he recalled so well the nights that Master Richard would snuggle up in bed beside his elder.

There would always be those memories floating in the back of his mind, ghosts of the past, spirits of the dead. He would never see Master Bruce again. He would never see Master Richard so happy. He would never relive those days when the world peaceful.

All Alfred could do was make the lie that Richard was with a family friend, tell the press that Lucius Fox was running Wayne Enterprises, and clean the silent house.

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><p><strong>AN: Now get off my back about Alfred, will you? Sheesh, twenty-some reviews later and I'm a little fed-up…**

**Reviews are great. Just don't ask about Alfred again. Please. I'm begging you.**

**~Sky**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Here you go. Chapter 32. And if you're an avid follower, you would be a fan of my YouTube, where you would have noticed that new songs have been added to the playlist I created specifically to go with this song. Which means you may have seen the spoiler/sneak-peak of who's coming up in this chapter as his "babysitter" of sorts.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Seriously, I don't.**

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><p>The flash of blue light faded around her as she saw Canary standing there waiting for her, hands hanging at her sides only so that she could keep from showing how irritated she was with taking another kid to one of the Justice League's most secretive hideouts. "Come on. He's around here somewhere." The faint uncertainty in her voice was enough to make the girl question the heroine's actions.<p>

The _clack! clack!_ of heels through the echoing space was creepy enough. It was near silent in the Watchtower and she had to keep from shivering at the thought of being alone in space. What if a window blew out? What if they were alone there? It was so sick and twisted, knowing that another child, all alone, was left here to rot as a prisoner rather than a victim. She moved quickly, her own heels sounding loud as thunder.

"Grayson!" Canary's call bounced off the enclosing walls as they paced through a cold, quiet hall. She paused for a moment as if expecting a response. When nothing could be heard aside from oxygen racing through ducts overhead and the constant whirring of electronics behind every wall, they moved on quickly, Canary leading the way with a heavy sigh and clenched fists.

The Watchtower wasn't too terrible, she decided. It was cold and quiet, but maybe once they found another human being on it, things wouldn't be so terrible. As soon as she knew they weren't alone up there, it wouldn't be so terrible. She'd stay there for two or three months and then carry on. Leaving the boy behind. She held her arms around her, glad that she'd packed warm. Space was cold. And empty.

Canary turned a corner sharply, her pace picking up so that the girl was having a bit of a hard time keeping up. She had to sprint for a second just to catch up before retreating back into a fast walk. Her bags would be brought later when they found an empty room that Dick hadn't hacked or vandalized.

"Grayson!"

They were standing outside of the gym doors, staring in at the rows of punching bags and weight benches. Overhead hung gymnastics equipment and something similar to a trapeze bar. There was no Dick Grayson.

"I'm going to kill that kid." Canary padded on, heels still clicking against the ground loud and hard as she moved through the halls, fists clenched even tighter.

She suddenly felt bad for Robin if he'd been going through all this for so long. Canary at his throat every time she was around and the cold emptiness of the Watchtower. She looked in the gym and at all the equipment one last time before carrying on, rushing to catch up with Black Canary again. The woman was turning a corner by the time the girl caught up.

They passed a row of windows that stared out into empty space, stars twinkling in the blackness of space, not the sky. It was pitch black as the sun was on the other side of the station. She carried on carefully and made sure to keep up with the heroine. She was terrified of one of those panels breaking. For some reason, the whole concept of being off Earth was already giving her the creeps.

Silence echoed through the halls. Loneliness lurked at every corner, hanging in the shadows. An empty life encompassed the entire place, a cold blankness that would never be replaced. Darkness was everywhere.

"Richard John Grayson!" They'd arrived at a door and the heroine's fist was pounding on it; she was loud enough to make the girl shy away from the sound and how it seemed like gunshot in the eternal quiet. Canary's fist turned red quickly from the force she was putting into the knocking, if it could even be called that. She paused for a moment to wait for a response. After a few seconds, she pressed her ear to the door and listened inside.

She stood to one side, watching and waiting, hands folded neatly behind her back, patient with the problem that had arisen. She wasn't expecting anything to be simple. She'd be living here and that'd be hard enough.

"He's not in there." The blonde woman let out an enraged huff of breath before moving on down another hallway. "He's very… independent. He'll probably do this to you a lot."

"Okay." What else was there to say? Saying anything more would be like poking a sleeping lion. She was terrified that Canary would just snap without any notice and she'd be the blood slathered on the wall that the Boy Wonder would find later while trying to escape the heroine's wrath.

Without warning, she shouldered into a particularly large door and threw it open, entering the warm cafeteria; the girl caught the scent of hotdogs and burgers in the air. Faint concern crept into her mind: would that be all she could eat here?

"Hey, just so we're clear on this, I found it this way."

Near the back wall of the open area was a kid about her age, raven-colored hair, and the brightest blue eyes she'd ever seen. Normally she wouldn't notice something like that right off the bat, but it was the way she saw it. The dark hair and the baby blues went hand-in-hand. He had his hands up in surrender, a few candy bars in one while there was a bag of Skittles in the other. Beside him was a busted vending machine.

"We just had that repaired last week, Dick," said Dinah through gritted teeth as her icy azure orbs flared up with rage. "And you're the only one up here right now."

"Actually, Barry's here. He's on duty. He smashed it for me because it ate my dollar again." The kid gave a smirk, his features lighting up like the sun on the horizon. "So you'll just have to get it repaired again. Which reminds me, why does it run on money, anyways? We feed cash to it and then we just get it back later. Someone should fix that."

Another sigh from Dinah, heavy and irritated. "Fine. You can reprogram it after Hal takes it back to the shop to get it fixed."

"I could do it with some glue." His face softened and he dropped all the candy to the ground; they clattered against the tiled floor. "We'll save Hal some time, don't you think?" The faint remnants of a smile still clung to his cheeky face.

"And it'll keep you busy." Dinah had given in, tired of dealing with him. That was part of why she'd needed to bring someone in. And this would work, she was convinced. He'd have a friend, something permanent. If that would heal him, then it would be alright. The girl would make things work, she'd help him survive the Watchtower and she'd make it work. She'd keep him sane and out of trouble. It would work, Canary was convinced. She needed it to work. "Come on in here."

The girl took a step forward, into the cafeteria and into the light.

"So this is Zatanna." He moved across the room, half-tempted to do a flip. With Canary present, it'd be a death sentence. Within a moment, he was standing in front of her with that same smile on. "Dick Grayson." He offered out a hand.

She couldn't help but look at how blue his eyes were. "Nice to meet you." How to act around him, someone so revered in the world of heroes and idolized by children across the globe, was a mystery to the magician. He was calm and collected, strange considering she'd expected a psycho by the way Canary was calling for him and threatening to kill him.

Before coming, she'd been briefed by the team. They'd called her in and made her sit through a long list of what to do and what not to do: don't turn on John Wayne movies, he's allergic to a specific type of blue dye, there's this one way he likes to color, never touch his phone (Roy had added on the annoyed remark of "If they even let him _have_ one."), leave him alone when he wants to be alone, hold him if he cries, his favorite food is cookies ("_Always_ make him cookies," M'gann had said kindly.), try to keep him from breaking things because he was notorious for it, let him hang out in ducts if he wants, never leave him alone at night ("He doesn't like that." Wally's input had been darkly serious.), don't fight him when he wants something because he _will_ win, and make sure he's always got someone close by.

Roy, Wally, and Artemis had been the three to drill him the most, barking out demands and contradicting each other, and one or two fist fights had broken out between the archers only to be ended swiftly by Kaldur and Conner jumping in to save the day. Artemis had walked away with a big bruise on her cheeks while Roy carried a few scratches along his neck from where her nails had dug in.

"You want to help me rebuild this?" he asked after tossing a thumb over his shoulder to point at the vending machine. "I could use some help." The smile remained on his face, light and bright.

"Sure." Who was she to deny? He'd do most of the work anyways, she didn't know how to build anything. Her magic could help, but she didn't know any spells off the top of her head. And he seemed intent on doing it himself with his own two hands.

His eyes then flitted to Dinah, and his head tilted to one side, a particularly long lock of ebony dropping in front of one of his cobalt eyes. "Mind getting some glue?"

The elder bird let out a huff of aggravation before leaving to find some glue. Surely Barry would know where it was. He broke enough things around the Watchtower over the years…

"So you're the unlucky sap who gets to play babysitter?" asked Richard, stepping back and flipping a chair around with a quick flick of his wrist. He dropped into it and watched her intently, almost like an investigator going into interrogation mode. "I feel bad for sucking you into this Hell-hole."

"Well," she remarked, leaning against the now-closed door, "it could be a lot worse. It could smell like dead fish."

"It does when Aquaman comes around."

They both cracked a laugh. His cackle echoed through the room while her giggle was pure and honest. There was a pause after they'd finished and he looked her over carefully, looking at her shoulders and her hips, wondering if they'd fit.

"Are you claustrophobic at all?"

Ten minutes later, Dinah came back with glue. A duct was uncovered and shoes had been dumped beside the broken vending machine where some of the candy had been taken. "I just…" She put the glue on a table and stalked out, fists clenched. She wasn't sure what she'd do with him, but she'd figure out something soon enough.

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><p><strong>AN: I'll try to steer clear of romance, but I'm a RobxZee shipper so you may see hints here and there. So Zatanna's in the Watchtower now. Sounds like fun. Keep in mind that they haven't met before. It's not with the timeline. The team knows Zatanna though. It's complicated.**

**Ignore my babble. Review?**

**~Sky**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Overdue, I'm perfectly aware. Lack of computer access is not good for a writer.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Sorry.**

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><p>"So you're Zatara's daughter?" he asked, picking away at an orange peel while they huddled in the vents, him wrapped in a blanket while she was tucked in a warm sweater. Canary had been trying to freeze them out for a few hours now.<p>

She nodded. "Yeah. Daughter of a magician." Zatanna almost thought she felt some emotion coming off of him, but he was quick to focus back on his tiny meal. She kept her eyes on the glove that she was slowly unraveling, picking away at a piece of yarn that had escaped the rest.

"And what's that like?"

It was innocent as a simple question in itself, but they'd already spent a week together and she'd learned more about him than she thought she ever would.

He liked to laugh. More than any fourteen-year-old Zatanna knew. He was always trying to get her to at least crack a smile while forcing his own in the worst of times. He wasn't good at faking, but she could only assume it was because he was such an honest person.

There was never a dull moment with Richard Grayson. Between the ducts, messing with the Leaguers as they came and went, and just general playtime, he acted more like a child than a young teen. He was a big ball of energy waiting to explode, and Zatanna feared the moment when he did finally burst with all that power inside of him.

Then there was the way his voice was, calm and playful when he was just himself, really poking and teasing around the League, especially mocking with Barry on movie nights, and just quiet and grave when there was some sort of reminiscence in the air. There were many moods and faces to him, she quickly learned. The way his brow knit in confusion, the way his eyes widened when he smiled, the general calm that washed through him when he was just messing around in the gym. He was the same boy, but of many faces.

This one was one she'd only seen once. When Roy had passed through, strictly on business, he'd claimed; although Zatanna had seen otherwise as an outsider looking in, merely pretending not to notice when he slipped a recording device under one of the tables. She didn't work full-time as a hero, but she was no fool either.

Roy had come in, Dick automatically rushing to meet him after being apart for months, although he acted more like it was years. The archer had been firm with his "strictly business" policy and had brushed the kid off.

It was all just a show, a hoax. He only needed to get in and use a computer. Mount Justice's were being used and the Watchtower had the same information. So Roy, with some help from Wally, had gotten himself permission for the Watchtower and beamed himself up. Zatanna could see right through the whole thing as she watched through the looking glass, but she saw one of Grayson's many faces.

Jealousy.

"It's not like you really need the computers. It's just a stupid job." His eyes were dark, narrowed; his face was pinched up around his nose a little bit, sort of like a sneer. The words he said were laced with venom and anger. The sum of it all: envy. "You don't even need it anyways."

This also, Roy brushed off. "I don't have time for you right now."

Dejected, enraged, hurt, Dick had gone to his room. But Zatanna could've sworn she heard him mutter something about someone named Kent. She'd left him alone, afraid to disturb him further.

"And what's that like?"

There was the edge on his voice, the same way his face pinched up slightly. His focus was directed at something else while an emotion simmered inside of him. She knew. Jealousy.

Zatanna wasn't about to step down from confrontation, but approaching this the wrong way would get her sent home and would get Grayson sent to another home with someone else in a place that could be worse. Although, from what she heard, the other options sounded much, much better for him.

"Listen, I know you're not happy with this whole situation, but I'm trying not to make it worse. My dad is not that great." She really had no idea on how to go about the situation but facing it head-on seemed a solid enough plan.

A little shock rippled across his features, and he actually looked in her direction, piercing blue eyes seeming to stab into her soul. "_What?_"

"You're mad." Now confusion fell upon her face, dark and puzzling. "...right?"

There was a long pause. "How do you get I'm mad out of 'And what's that like?' because, to me, that doesn't sound mad." He kept eye contact, never wavering, gaze intent.

"The way you said it."

He carefully rewound the scene in his mind, a slight gift he had. His mind wrapped around it and replayed it. Yes, sadly, he did hear the edge on his voice, the way it was a little too fast and a little harsh near the end. "I'm not mad." His face scrunched up for a moment before relaxing and focusing on peeling his orange again. "Not at you, at least."

"Canary?" Who else was she to guess? Dick and Dinah seemed to be at each others throats half the time, the boy always keeping in mind his goal of pissing her off to maximum levels.

"Myself."

She'd been completely wrong and felt stupid for it. She was right on the count of him being mad, but wrong on the direction of the anger. "Oh."

He handed over half the orange to the magician's daughter before slipping the peel through the vent that dropped into Black Canary's room, right onto her bed. From where he sat, he could faintly make out the two forms in the picture that sat on a table. Bruce and Dinah. A moment in time. An everlasting memory. "I feel bad for taking you away from him. It's my fault you're here. You should be home enjoying your summer, not stuck in space babysitting a kid with some emotional issues."

"You're mad... because of me?"

"Indirectly, of course."

"Of course." She shook her head. There were some arguments she'd given up on completely. His use of certain prefixes and his misuse of them made her stop trying to correct him every step of the way.

His eyes were back on her, soft, remorseful. "Bruce was taken from me in a heartbeat. I watched the building he died in burn to the ground on tv while his body was still in it." Something in his face hardened to stone. "I saw my parents get murdered and never got a chance to say goodbye. Last thing I will ever remember of my mom is her screaming my name as she fell to her death." He swallowed hard and looked away, running a hand through his ebony hair while carefully working to wipe away the tears that welled up, trying to keep her from noticing. "It was just a stupid fire..."

They had only been together a week, but this was the first time he'd ever shown any weakness. She had caught the slight hitch in his breathing and saw the way his fingers shook as they moved through his dark locks. Zatanna knew. She reached over carefully, around his blanket, and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close like a sister would. Roy and Wally had told her that holding him was the best thing to do, but when he started talking gibberish, call someone else in, someone who could translate Romani.

He didn't fight her no matter how badly he wanted to. Apologizing was a sign of weakness. Crying was a sign of weakness. Fear was a sign of weakness. Bruce had ingrained this all so heavily into his mind as Robin that some part of him hadn't yet let go. No matter how badly his mind told him to pull away, to fortify himself again, some part of him needed human contact, something more material than just empty words. "Just don't take the time you have with people for granted." A puff of white air came out of his mouth as he spoke; Canary had turned down the heat further. "You may never see them again."

Later that night, after Dick was asleep and Red Tornado had taken his final watch, Zatanna picked up her phone and quietly laid in her bed, listening to the ringing and waiting for an answer. Finally, the accented voice came through. "Hello?"

"Hi, Daddy."

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><p><strong>AN: There. Edited quickly, but I'm pretty sure it's good. Night all, please review, and happy new year.**

**~Sky**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: A few replies…**

**AllBlueChaser: Your review actually made me write this right away. "I hope we get to hear what's on the recording…" And then suddenly, I wanted to know too! Gives me the chance to get out of the Watchtower and look into other lives for a few minutes. And voila! This chapter was born!**

**DayDreaming0f y0u: Dinah gets to dictate his life 'cause no one else is stepping in to say she can't. And don't say he has no friends! He's got the team, Roy, and all of the Justice League! (Wow, I need to respond to a lot of your review…) And he's been training, so don't worry about a complete overhaul. Roy helped him out after his year with KF and the few months with Clark and now there's a gym at the Watchtower, so he's doin' fine. And Wally, well, I'll address him later...**

**Chapter time!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Sorry for long A/N.**

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><p>"Banana bread or pizza bread?"<p>

"So basically, you're asking me if bananas are better than pizza."

"Not even close. Pizza bread is completely different from pizza. Same with banana bread."

"Minus the bread part, pizza, but plus the bread part, banana bread."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, Dick. You just told me there's complete difference."

"There is, but come on, pizza bread is the best thing since... I really want to say sliced bread, but it feel wrong for the situation."

And she laughed.

Roy was so tired of the mindless babble that he heard after days of recordings he was going through; the worst part was that not once had Grayson even mentioned Batman. Of course, if Roy had more recorders, more time, a good excuse to be in the Watchtower, and an assortment of other defenses against the Justice League, he may have found something useful by now.

He just wanted the kid back. Dick had always been a good friend, since they were young and stupid, trying to kill each other all the time. Roy remembered more than one time where he knocked the bird unconscious when they were just screwing around and ended up having to call in Queen to get it all straightened out before a certain Bat found out.

Now he felt like he was responsible. All those times he'd shoved the blame on Wally to save Dick, all the times Queen cleaned up their messes, and now they were finally off, free and wild. Or at least Roy was. So he was responsible.

He'd missed months with the boy after Bruce's death. He was still guilty from that. Then there was all the time he'd spent with Wally, just a home between homes. Roy felt like he _had _to take care of Dick before the boy self-destructed, turning into something that couldn't be fixed with time and perseverance.

But then again, he'd made it through his parents' deaths...

With Robin. With Bruce. With an outlet.

Roy continued to listen, hovering over the kitchen counters at Mount Justice, practically inhaling cookies whenever M'gann baked up a fresh batch. He'd run out of cash at his apartment already and finding a job was hard when half of his life was spent fighting evil-doers that just never wanted to stop being morons that wouldn't accept a loss.

"Banana bread is terrible! _Where _is your head?"

"It walked off last night along with my shoes."

"Oh yeah, just so you know, I had to borrow your shoes to kill a bug."

"Dick!"

"Don't worry! I wiped it off. Or at least I'm going to..."

"Why were you compelled to use my shoes?"

"More fun. The excitement of sneaking in undetected paired with the perfect escape... That, and why would I want it on _my _shoes?"

At least he sounded alright, Roy had to admit. Maybe a little soft compared to the edgy kid he once knew, but without having to fight for his life every night, it was bound to happen. Soft but still strong. Inside.

A sound outside of the Watchtower babble caught his ear and pulled away a headphone, still holding the other to his ear just in case. He could pause it any time he wanted, but why would he? Getting through it now was easier. Especially if Canary found the recorder and decided to confiscate all the recordings. So he listened to the white noise of an overly bubbly Richard Grayson and a slightly irritated Zatanna Zatara while the system announced the arrival of Superman to Mount Justice.

Ducking down behind a counter, Red Arrow clutched his toys to his chest and prayed that Superman would listen to something else. Superhearing was such a killer when wanting to go undiscovered. He quickly stabbed the pause button and breathed gently despite his racing heart.

Megan was still in the kitchen, bustling away. She acted as though Roy wasn't there even though she knew he was just on the floor, pressed tight to the cabinets with his eyes squeezed shut. She even dropped an armful of clean pans in an attempt to hide the sound of Harper's heartbeat.

And yet the Man of Steel didn't seem to realize any of this. He was moving towards the couch where Conner Kent sat, staring at a tv screen snowy with static and alive with a crackling, buzzing sound. There was a moment of silence as his footsteps stopped, and Megan froze where she stood, ears straining to catch words.

"I know you've been living here for a while now, but I was wondering if maybe you'd consider staying with me for a little while."

M'gann dropped a whole pan of cookies, quickly handing out apologies to no one in particular, still trying to keep in mind that she couldn't give away Red Arrow's position; Roy had been bathed in red sprinkles, but what else could he expect? Green sprinkles?

"_What?_" was Conner's puzzled, husky reply. Some part of his tone was defensive, another part wary. He'd seen Robin come back from there. Of course, Robin was a different person, traumatized, tired, scared, alone. Conner was not Robin.

"I'm inviting you to stay with me in Metropolis. Well, stay with Clark Kent, really, but you get the point, don't you?"

Roy tried to keep from looking at Megan. He wished he could see Conner's confusion; anything other than the green girl's expression. Pained. Confused. Lost. A bit proud, but still hurting. He knew they were together, bound with a kiss. And he grabbed a few cookies off the floor, knowing he was completely screwing himself over. He tossed the cookies over the counter towards where Conner and Clark were.

A few of them cracked upon impact while others landed and dislodged sprinkles that then went scattering across the floor, sounding a bit like shattering glass. Both looked to where they'd fallen and to where they'd come from. At M'gann.

Roy took a deep breath. No, Red Arrow wasn't in Mount Justice. Nope. He hadn't been there for months now. It was a ghost. Or magic. Yes, something like that...

There was a moment where Conner took a sharp breath before saying softly in that same husky voice, "I think I should stay here, but-" A slight grimace captured his features; he knew he was stretching with this. "-but maybe you could help me train or- or whatever." His blue eyes averted from the Man of Steel. And in a lower voice, he added, "I just know M'gann needs me here."

Kent gave the seventeen-year-old a quick nod and even a friendly smile for good measure. "I'd be happy to help."

M'gann's face had transformed from something grim into something grand, her green features now adorned with a broad smile and a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Roy was just glad the damn cookies had worked. He still hated the red sprinkles though.

Conner couldn't stop the words from coming out, the question in his mind and then out in the open. "Why are you offering now? I've been here almost a year now. Why not sooner?"

Face almost somber with remembrance of something failed and lost, he answered, "I know you need me to teach you, and I know you want some sort of family to be able to connect with, and I've learned now that those things can't be denied."

Behind the counter, Roy felt a sort of burning in his chest, an ache from the hole that losing Dick left behind. He knew that Superman learned from the broken bird. They all had. Kent, Dinah, Barry, Hal, the team, himself. The kid was a legend; now he was a prisoner whose only desire was to prove himself again, to escape his cage.

They were all learning from the bird.

"And Roy? I expect you to clean up this mess because we all know it's not M'gann's."

Quietly ignoring Kent's remark, Red Arrow slipped the headphone on again, which shook sprinkles loose from his hair and uniform. He ignored it and pressed the play button to hear two distant voices chattering on. But hey, he'd saved an alien girl today.

Now to get Grayson back.

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><p><strong>AN: Slight Supermartian. I hate the pairing, but I had to confront Supey's daddy issues at some point…**

**Review?**

**~Sky**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Gonna warn you now, awkward ending, but I was drawing a complete blank, still am. So just hoping you can deal with extremely awkward writing. Sorry. I tried like five different things...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own. How 'bout you? You own it?**

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><p>Dick had begun to watch the clock more and more as the summer progressed; it wasn't summer to either of them, really. No surf, no sand, no sun. It was just the same prison they'd lived in for nearly a month and a half now, the days not going by fast enough.<p>

Homesickness had worn away, dwindled down to pure boredom. Zatanna had a week where she'd missed home and just wanted to hide away in her room or escape through the zeta, but they'd been locked out from the outside world except under Black Canary's permission. Now she could only outlast the days by counting stars and abusing her iPod, the play count rising higher than she'd ever imagined.

School couldn't come soon enough. The magician's daughter wanted out of her metal prison and to finally get back home, back to her freedom. She'd gotten to the point of missing her family so much that it hurt, but the pain was instantly nullified when she remembered that her new friend, the former Boy Wonder, would never have anyone to go home to again. She'd gone numb to even the homesickness, bored of that just the same.

As for the bird, he just wanted a way to get out for a few hours. Just going to see Roy was a privilege in and of itself. With Wally in a coma from a mission gone wrong, Grayson was allowed out at least once a week for two hours, but that was his limit unless told otherwise. Wally had helped a little bit, even if his life was on the line, an oxygen mask permanently strapped to his face.

"You can hack past the zeta security, can't you?" asked the dark-haired girl, her blue eyes on him as he moved his way through his self-induced training. Her gaze followed him over some hurdles and down the slick ramp; he took it with easy, tumbling his way through it all with a certain grace that she could never put to words well enough to describe.

He smiled to himself. How could she doubt his abilities so? In the weeks they'd been together, he'd reprogrammed the vending machine, made all zeta systems call Red Arrow by his sidekick name again, changed Aquaman's screensaver on the Watchtower server to a picture of sushi, and erased all of Barry's high scores on the PacMan game in the cafeteria. The list was longer than that, but those had been his most notable performances. "Yes." He drank in a sharp breath before jumping over a particularly high stack of gymnastics mats he'd set up for himself. "But I won't."

She flipped the page of her book; in retrospect, she figured she should've brought more than one book. "Why not?" Her tone was almost challenging, and Zatanna was half tempted to start going all reverse psychology on him but refrained. "We both want out of here."

"It's not about getting out of here." He managed to get a good enough jump off a springboard so that his grip found the handlebars of the trapeze overhead. Normally, he wouldn't have touched the thing, but he was trying to get over Bruce and face his fears, like fire and the trapeze. If he could do this, he could knock something off his to-do list. "It's about keeping my record clean."

One of her brows rose curiously.

He sighed and began, "I have to sign in on my own computer to be able to run the codes to the zetas to override Justice League ordinance. Logging onto mine leaves a paper trail. I could log onto a League computer under League servers, but to get onto League servers, I would need to use my computer to find passwords unless I'm lucky enough to guess right in the first five tries. If I don't, the whole Watchtower goes on lockdown and Canary is automatically warned." He held onto the bars and focused all his energy in swinging himself towards the other platform; Grayson could only be grateful that it wasn't too far up, only about seven meters off the ground. "Even if I managed it, it goes on the login log and most of the League can look at that whenever they want to. Still a paper trail."

She hadn't understood most of his mumbo-jumbo, but she got the gist of it. Logging onto a server for any League things was forbidden because if would be seen. "And you can't clean it off?"

"It'd take a system reboot, more work than I'd like for something so trivial." His blue eyes shut; he forced himself to breathe normally. "All the effort I'd put into getting us out would just double itself when it comes down to clearing off the zeta records, the login register..." He took a deep breath and rocked his body harder, the trapeze swaying back and forth, back and forth. "It's just not worth it, especially if I'm not capable of cleaning up the entire trail. It'd ruin my clean record if they saw me even /attempt/ to hack something." He managed to get enough momentum to try a flip over to the platform. Dick landed cleanly enough, almost hobbling over the edge. He grabbed the pole that held the platform above the ground. "I'm already in trouble for training with Roy," he said, looking down at the ground below. "Anything more would warrant me to be permanently disavowed."

"Rough translation?" asked the girl, her gaze slightly worried as she watched him hold onto the pillar.

"It's a big no-no for me to-" He figured he could make the jump down, but he was reluctant to do so. Dick looked down for somewhere to land, somewhere that falling wouldn't hurt too bad. "-try anything that could risk Robin's future." He jumped, pulling a quick, tight backflips before dropping onto some mats, barely catching his balance as the hit the padding.

He didn't talk about Robin much. She guessed it was mostly because Bruce had died as Batman. And Batman and Robin went hand and hand. It was the Dynamic Duo, never separated.

A thought struck Zatanna, heavy as a ton of bricks. How would Robin work solo?

Grayson continued softly, voice fast as he got up and kept moving, reluctant to stop or even slow down. "Because I can't screw up in front of Black Canary or else I'm done for good. The physical training is helping, but Roy helped more." He was quick to move forward, springing over a balance beam with ease; he was doing simple maneuvers to get back into shape, the easy things. "I need to get back with someone who knows the drill. Roy and Wally-" An aching pang hit his heart. Wally. "-get it. I know you're here to help and all, but you're not exactly physical training like the rest of us are."

She bit her lower lip, eyes drifting away from him and down to the book open in her lap. A spell book. "Magic is a mental discipline."

"We're physical discipline. The hours of training can only build so much, but we have to do it to have any chance of survival." He drew in a sharp breath as he nearly ran into a punching bag, but he dodged to one side before stumbling into it. "I used to be able to run something similar to this in less than thirty seconds. Now it's taking me almost a minute twenty." He moved on, back to the start, back to the beginning of the hurdles and the tires he'd set out. It took forever now, his feet not fast enough, his hesitation on the trapeze enough to get him shot if he were on an actual mission.

"So you need someone to put the pressure on you," Zatanna said. "You need Roy back."

"I need _someone_." He loved Roy, it was no question, but he couldn't get picky when it came to the Justice League. Roy's chances were already shot at getting him back, but Dick couldn't stop his heart from hoping. He needed some essence of family. Oliver wasn't a great "dad" of sorts, but Roy picked up all the slack because he _had to_. And Wally was a great brother, Barry and Iris around enough to create the illusion of parents. Both households had worked. And if Dick had been allowed outside, maybe living with Clark would've been fine too. "Being here... It doesn't work. It's a jail, not a home."

A slight smile captured her features. "Remind you of Arkham at all?"

He gave a cackle before hitting the springboard for the sixth time that day, his hands grasping the trapeze as he immediately started swinging for momentum again. "Plenty." And he hit the ground, stable and unwavering, arms out for a perfect landing.

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><p><strong>AN: So awkward. So. Um. Review? Jeez, this chapter was murder on me…**

**~Sky**


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Expect something of a double update. Today and, say, Monday? I will be updating the playlist for this as soon as this chapter is posted 'cause I found some new songs that fit in perfectly and cleaned out some of the old. Plus, I'm updating for a few future chapters ;) Jump on over to my YouTube, user is TheEvansons. Will make a video for this once I get the iPad back…**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own… Also don't own anything mentioned within chapter. Longer update for y'all too.**

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><p>"Want some Trix?"<p>

"I just finished making my waffles..."

Richard shrugged. "Suit yourself." He poured himself a bowl. The worst part of being off-duty was that he had no drive to be eating healthy. Cereal was too good to pass up in his eyes. "So you think Roy'll come today?"

In the past two weeks, Roy had repeatedly called and said he'd drop by to visit some time soon. Every morning and most nights, Dick would sit by the zetas and wait while reading or playing some kind of video game.

It was pretty heart breaking for Zatanna to watch, seeing him clinging onto the rebellious archer so desperately. Considering she was his live-in babysitter, she thought she was doing a pretty good job. He ate. He was acting like most fourteen-year-olds. He behaved. The girl had no real complaints about him except for his lack of focus for certain things and the way she sometimes had to use her magic to pry his door open in the morning. There were a few quirks that made her angry but nothing was severe enough to drive her away from the job; besides, she was helping her father as well as the rest of the Justice League. And sometimes, it made her question why he wanted to go back to Roy. Not that she wanted to keep him all for herself or anything…

"Keep hoping. That's all you can do." She pushed the gallon of milk across the table to him before picking up her laptop again to skim through the news before going back to working on her twenty-four hour a day job of watching Grayson.

It didn't even affect him, which was the most painful part to see. He just kept on smiling like the day would get better.

Yet, at night, she could sometimes hear him crying. And she hated not being able to block out the wretched noise of her friend's pain. Zatanna just had to suck it up and get through it because he never let her in his room when he did cry; he never wanted to show weakness. It was such a Batman-induced thing, a trait she was painfully aware of.

"I hope he brings some of Ollie's famous chili." For a heartbeat, he seemed lost in thought, but then he came back from his cloud and leaned across the table, saying, "Seriously, he could give real chefs a run for their money."

And that was when Barry showed up for their routine movie day, uniform on with the hood-like mask pulled down as he blurred into view as to seemingly appear out of thin air. He held up a bag from one of the video rental places he loved so much. "Okay, so today I have 'Anastasia' since I've never seen it, 'X-Men: The Last Stand' because we all know it's the most tragic of all the X-Men movies, 'White Chicks' for some crazy junk, and 'Inception' because the world knows it was awesome." He dropped the bag on the table between the two. "You joining us today, Miss Zatara?" A lightly mocking smile lit up his features, green eyes tinged with a glow of laughter.

"I'll join you for one, but then I'm covering for my dad's Watchtower duties for a few hours." She shut her laptop with a _click! _of the lid as it snapped into place. "So save me a spot on the couch."

"No problem with that." Dick got up with his cereal and began his trek to the room where the massive big screen (big enough to rival the tv in Mount Justice, really) was looming, waiting to be watched. Barry had dashed ahead without warning, already going to pop a DVD in.

As soon as the magician's daughter knew her friend and his companion were out of earshot, she moved her hands under the table and swiped the recorder to move it again for the day. Under the bench in the gym would work, but the ducts had better acoustics... She slipped it in her pocket.

"You coming, Zee?" asked Grayson, poking his head back into the space before shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "Barry _will_start the movie without you, I guarantee it."

The girl offered her best smile, just hoping he hadn't seen the recorder. "Yeah, I'll be there in a sec."

He didn't wait to see her come through on that. "M'kay." The acrobat began to move off in the direction where Barry had disappeared. "But don't say I didn't warn ya." Gone as quick as he had appeared, leaving the doorway without another glance back to his friend.

A slight huff of breath escaped her, and Zatanna's eyes shut for a moment. "Roy had better be grateful for this."

She moved for the tv room, laptop in tow, bug still in her pocket.

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><p>Around the table sat most of the Leaguers who had the biggest say in the future of the Boy Wonder. Black Canary was seated next to Oliver, their hands clasped; on her other side was a pensive Clark, his blue eyes a bit more awake than usual; Barry was nowhere to be found, but Hal had stepped in his place, willing to fill the speedster's shoes as long as it didn't involve any actual running; and then there was Manhunter, nestled away from the rest of the group but still ready to break up issues.<p>

Hal was all over Dinah the same way Roy would've been had he been the one to fill the Flash's seat. "He needs to get out of the Watchtower at the least. He's free to roam there and it keeps him out of the public eye, yes, but he's kept away from his friends and away from the social world as well. It doesn't bode well for kids to be away from civilization."

"Look at what happened to Queen," pointed out Superman with a slight smirk. "He's a vigilante now."

"Which is, as I recall," inserted J'onn, "what you want to avoid." His dark eyes watched Dinah, a slight flash of victory in the obsidian orbs.

As part of his legacy was brought up, he averted his gaze, finding the ceiling quite interesting. He figured he could even find some fun shapes up there. Oliver even pulled his hand away from Dinah's, partially terrified she'd rip it off, the other half scared she'd start using him as a counterattack on his allies.

"He's fine as long as we keep an eye on him." She only wanted to protect him from the outside world, to keep him away from the vultures of the media and the hyenas of the press, the nasty scavengers that would pick at what remained of the once confident Richard Grayson. Canary's motherly instincts told her to shelter him where he couldn't be found, where he could just recovery from everything. "He isn't isolated up there. We all visit him, and he comes to see the team." If he would've just stopped trying to be Robin, he could've stayed with Roy... He could've been _safe_with Roy…

"At this point, we need to be taking care of him better. He's fourteen, meaning he'll be home-free and out of our control in less than four years." Hal's visage was serious as he looked around at the others. This wasn't just in the moment; this was the future. And in four years, they wouldn't be able to stop him from going to Robin or whatever gig he wanted to pick up. Everything that happened now would control his destiny.

"Someone needs to take him." Clark's voice came alive to cut off Hal. "Permanently."

"And with his still unstable condition, he cannot go back to Alfred." J'onn hated to say it, especially since he knew how much the butler could help the League's ward. "Yet he still needs to have a friend."

Dinah's words struck in again. "And to stay away from Robin."

A unanimous murmur arose from the few there.

"So we could look into Roy again," said Queen, figuring that speaking up first may win him an advantage. He already knew Black Canary was completely on-board with it due to her being there basically every day.

"Too risky." Superman's eyes fell on the two side-by-side. "Roy's just as unstable considering the circumstances. Especially now that he's been completely cut off and disgraced across the League." The slander, as Clark had heard, was enough to get Red Arrow shunned by most heroes that didn't know him as well as the original seven. It was not something anyone wanted to deal with at this point.

Oliver, once again, found the ceiling very intriguing.

Realizing Roy was completely out of the question, Clark continued, carefully testing the water by thinking a bit outside of the box. "What if we let him... leave League custody? Let him go in with, say, Commissioner Gordon? He's got a daughter about the same age, and from the sound of it, he and Bruce knew each other fairly well."

"Batman and Robin knew him as well," noted John from where he'd migrated to stand behind the blonde heroes. "There is a substantial risk that Richard may let some Robin information..." He took a moment to search for the right word. When he found it, he finished, "...slip."

"Keeping him with the League is better," insisted Dinah, cerulean eyes immediately dark and demanding. "It'll give us more influence over his choices. We can steer him clear of Robin that way."

The question finally sprung from Hal's lips before he could pull back on the reigns. "Why are you so Hellbent on keeping him out of his mantle?" His voice practically boomed out of him, a flare of fury rising in his eyes.

He had been the first challenger, besides Roy and Dick, to really bring up the real question behind it all. She almost pulled away from the conflict, about ready to hide away from the men who would most likely win this war anyways. But she put on a brave face, knowing she was keeping that child safe, locked away in the Watchtower where he couldn't be found. "Because we lost Bruce to the heroics. I don't want to see him fall the same way."

It was a sharp stab of pain, a dagger of agony. Bruce. The pain was less raw but still near unbearable. The memories of him they all shared- his sharp tongue, his dry humor, his pointy-eared cowl- were lost to the wind now, but the man would never be forgotten.

And losing Dick, just a child...

…a child…

No one wanted to lose Dick.

"We keep him with the League." Queen settled it, putting his hand back on Dinah's and giving a slight squeeze. He had to support her on some things. "But we do need to get him out of the Watchtower and into someplace permanent. He needs a good four years of a real home. He hasn't had that in his entire life."

The doors of the room burst open without warning, making most of the Leaguers jump in surprise. Two teens walked in, one holding a file, the other wearing a wide smirk. The elder said, "And we've got just the plan to make it work." He dropped the file on the table while his partner in crime grinned like the Cheshire cat.

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><p><strong>AN: The Watchtower was my scapegoat of places, my halfway-house, if you prefer. I couldn't transition easily from Roy's to… Plan B, but the Watchtower worked so perfectly… Next chapter is already in the works, expect it either tomorrow or Monday! Review?**

**~Sky**


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: I am addicted to this, especially writing it. And if you were smart, you checked the playlist this weekend. Updated it. With one of my personal favorite songs EVER, which works way too well with this story…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p>He rolled up the pages. "This could work."<p>

"Duh."

"Shut up," he hissed.

"Now you just have to get up the guts to confront Daddy's girlfriend."

Disgusted, he glared in the general direction of his comrade. "Because you make it sound so much more appealing." He emitted something of a snort before moving on with his papers.

"Wally won't get a say in this."

"We covered this before we even started." Another pang hit home; Wally was still strapped to a machine, his eyes still shut as he remained locked in a coma. "Wally's going to have to cope with what we can manage."

"Superspeed can be a benefit," noted his partner in crime, following closely behind. "He'll manage even without zetas."

"Bingo."

"So you're taking care of Canary?"

He cracked a harsh, brisk laugh. "You're sick, you know that?" His look was laced with both horror and hatred. As much as he wanted to give Dinah a beat down, she was still Queen's arm-candy. "No way in Hell am I approaching this on my own. You're in on the plan just as much as I am, more so even."

The lower lip was bitten as she followed beside him. "You do realize we'll have to deal with each other every day, right?"

"It'll be like a war zone, but we'll have to make it work for him. Like, I can't insult you. And you can't harass me." He sucked in a deep breath of air. "This may be a little harder than we thought."

"We've got the last of the summer to prep," noted the girl with a slight shrug. "Do you think it'll work? In... three weeks?"

"As long as we're not at each others' throats, we should be alright. Hostile territory isn't an option if this is going to work."

"And you have to find the will."

"I'll work with Alfred on that, don't worry about it."

She kept an even pace with him. "I'm just worried how Wally'll do with the changes."

"Wally's a good kid." Roy pushed a door open and let Artemis through. "He'll help us with Dick every way possible once he wakes up."

And they headed for the meeting room, ready to face the enemy.

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><p>"And we've got just the plan to make it work."<p>

The Leaguers had to blink a few times and figure out if this was even happening.

Roy Harper. And Artemis Crock. Working _together_. And neither of them with arrows puncturing skin.

Was it possible?

Canary was the first to speak up. "What are you talki-"

"We've got a plan to make it work," insisted Roy, pushing the file on the table closer to his foster father and his girlfriend.

Artemis began quickly, words tumbling out of her mouth almost too fast. "I live in Gotham, we all know this, yada yada. Point is, it's familiar territory for Grayson to live in. He knows the city, he knows the school. It'd be safe for him there, right?" She was looking at the heroes around her as if for some sort of confirmation when Roy cut in.

"He'll still be under plenty of surveillance there so he won't be able to do anything stupid. Mrs. Crock has already agreed to this as long as the Justice League can provide some sort of funding to assist with the living costs." Roy swallowed, hoping they'd all see it the way they did.

"My apartment has space for him with some rearranging," Artemis jumped in again after a quick look to her red-haired partner. "And he can come to school with me, I'll check with the school so we can have at least most of the same classes. Plus, Wally and Roy both agree that it's better he stays with a friend his age. I may be on the team and in the business, but when I'm not there, Roy can cover for me."

Oliver was about to ask when Red Arrow continued, "There's an apartment in her building that's for rent, making it possible for me to be close in case of an emergency considering Mrs. Crock's disability. It'll allow me to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't misbehave."

"Not to mention Roy can aid in the search for the will while he's in Gotham," added the blonde at his side.

"The point is that was know what environment would work best for him. It's no Wayne Manor and it's not a circus trailer, but it's a safe, permanent home for him. He'll have access to Mount Justice for hanging out and he'll be back on familiar territory." Roy desperately wished they could see it the way he and Artemis did. This would work if they would just give it a shot.

She continued, "And there's a zeta beam less than five minutes from my building, meaning you can check in whenever you want to." Her dark blue-gray eyes watched the faces of the Justice League heroes around them; none wore any sort of expression. The two of them only received an array of blank stares, some in shock, others just completely empty. "It'll work. He'll have freedom, he'll be safe, he'll be in Gotham, and he'll have friends. And when Wally gets better, he'll even hang out. This _will _work, we know it."

"Give us a chance," pleaded Roy, his voice only a tad softer than his usual hard, gravelly tone. "We know how to make this work."

Surprisingly enough, Canary was near speechless, leaving Superman to pick up her slack. "How do you know he wants this?"

Roy had almost forgotten about it; he even shot a look at Artemis for not reminding him about it, to which she responded with an I-forgot-too kind of shrug. "I have recordings. Zatanna must've been moving my bug around the Watchtower to get some of the soundbytes." He pulled the bug from his pocket. The day before, he'd retrieved it from the Watchtower on the visit he'd promised Dick. "It's easily proof enough that he wants out of there."

"Artemis, you seem to be forgetting something," noted J'onn after a moment of watching her twitching with both excitement and nervousness.

That'd be two things she'd forgotten. The recording and whatever else could possibly go wrong... She bit back a groan of annoyance.

Queen stood up and looked at the two, immediately catching onto Martian Manhunter's thoughts. "You're forgetting about your father."

Her eyes snapped shut. Damn. How could she have been so naive to think things would end so easily? Of course the past would catch up with her and punish everyone she cared about. All she wanted to do was help Robin, for crying out loud...

Roy's blue-green eyes snapped to the blonde archer. "You told me your dad didn't live with you."

The walls were automatically up, her defenses leaping into action. "He doesn't," she explained quickly, "because he left for good when my mom got out of prison. But he's gone now, shouldn't check back in again, null and void, not a problem."

Roy took a deep breath. The hair on the back of his neck prickled. "Artemis..."

And it seemed like the whole thing was falling apart at once, a whole poked through their plan. Her stupid father... "My dad's Sportsmaster, okay? He used to live with me, but he moved out before I joined the team. I used to work with the Shadows, but it's done now, won't be a problem." Artemis was near begging. They were Robin's last hope; he needed them more than anyone would ever know.

That was all Hal had to hear. He knew the whole story to begin with, but she seemed to know what she was talking about. "And if he calls on your services again, call the League for help."

"But if it comes to be a problem and you two can't handle it on your own," inserted Dinah, "he's out of there. Sportsmaster cannot know that the former Robin is with you. If he finds out, you both know the consequences."

Richard would be kidnapped, simple as that.

But the way she'd said it-

"So he can stay with her?" asked Roy, his voice disbelieving.

"Effective in a week, yes." Dinah stood up, her hand still clasped with Ollie's. Maybe Roy would finally find some peace... "We'll still have to look at the conditions, speak with Mrs. Crock, find out if Red Arrow here can actually _afford _the apartment, and work out a few other things with the Gotham Academy school board, but it shouldn't be a problem." As much as she hated to admit it, the two has the right idea. They were ready to take care of him. For real.

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><p><strong>AN: "Meet Virginia" by Train does take a decent stab at Artemis… So how about another chapter… some time this week? Next weekend? I just gotta look at the set-up for the next few chapters… Review?**

**~Sky**


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: Gonna write up the next chapter tonight, hopefully. If I don't fall asleep. I've got too much stuff in my head and not enough room to get it out; the next chapter is exactly what I need.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

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><p>Never before had Dick Grayson ever been so grateful for fresh air.<p>

Well, maybe when he was drowning, but even then, the Gotham air had never tasted so sweet. The smell of cigarettes, car exhaust, and marijuana had never been so... perfect.

"Good to be home?" laughed Artemis as she jabbed the crosswalk's button with her elbow, one of his bags slung over her shoulder while the boy carried the other two. His uniform was stashed away safely in one of the three, she knew; Artemis had seen a scrap of yellow amidst all of his jackets and jeans.

He cracked the biggest smile she'd ever seen on his sweet little face. "Better than you would ever know." Grayson watched as cars splashed muddy water up onto the sidewalk, narrowly missing both of them. "I'm mostly glad I'm out from under Dinah's eagle-eye. Black Canary should turn into Black Vulture or something, I swear."

Artemis shook her head and looked over her shoulder at Roy who was stalking a safe distance away. Grayson knew the arrangements, Roy being just a few doors or even a yell away if necessary. Ollie and Dinah still wanted to keep an eye on him before Dick grew attached again. Her gaze focused on the street ahead as the cars screeched to their stops and the raven-haired boy led the way across the street. "Don't tell her that."

"She'll just say it's teen angst or whatever," he snorted. Artemis wasn't the same as Zatanna, but at least he was out of the Watchtower and back on his own turf. Cracked sidewalks and dark alleys felt more like home than any hero facility ever could.

And just the sound of people talking made him thank the League for letting him out of his prison. The economy, crashes at NASCAR, who won yesterday's baseball game. He didn't care what they were talking about, just the general chatter of _the world_ enthralled him; the sound of _voices _made him was to cry out with joy. People. Albeit stupid people, but they were people, real people, and so many of them...

_He wasn't alone._

"Just down here." Artemis ducked down an alley, keeping her head low but her eyes alert. It was a dangerous spot, especially to be taking such a high-class kid, but it was an easy route and if their plan was going to work, they'd have to spark something in Grayson eventually. If even one trip down the alley ignited it, the League would be taken down in less than a month.

It was empty, much to her disappointment, but the other side held her apartment building. The girl motioned across the barren street towards the decent-sized building. "Home sweet home," she said with a bit of a sigh hanging on her words. Her steps paused to admire the view; the building faced West, meaning the sun was reflecting off the front windows in the mid-afternoon hour. It was easily one of those cliché moments that seemed to pop up sometimes. "You'll be rooming with me unless you prefer the couch. It's the only extra bed we've got, and it's only two rooms."

"Fine by me." She was nice enough to offer up her home as a permanent place to stay. If she could get him out of the accursed Watchtower, he didn't care where he slept. In a tent on the street would've been fine for all he cared, as long as he wasn't alone anymore. And as long as she wasn't a dictator. He'd decided he hated dictators. "A roof is basically all I'm asking for at this point."

Smirking, she asked, "So does that mean I don't have to feed you?"

"Hey now, let's not get crazy."

And they crossed the street. Artemis shoved her key in the lock, pushed the door open, let Dick in, and let it slam shut. Roy could get it open with his own key. "Just around the corner. My mom's set up means we have to be on the first floor."

He'd read the notes on her mom in the Justice League files before his exile from the system, but they hadn't formally met yet. Mrs. Crock had put her faith in her daughter's judgment of him and figured that Richard Grayson was a nice boy who needed a real home. The orphan could never be more grateful.

"Mom, we're home!" called out the archer after shouldering the door open to loosen the sticky lock. The girl dropped the bag just to the left of the door and next to the kitchen's garbage can; the two bags in the boy's hands followed soon after.

The chair's wheels squealed to a stop in the small hallway to the right. Then they squealed twice more as she maneuvered her way out of the hall and into the main room. "Artemis." The woman offered a kind smile. Her face was haunted with age come too soon from years of experience. Prison, Grayson knew, could do that to people. "And Richard Grayson." The woman, after making her way slowly and painfully to the door, leaned forward and offered a hand to the boy. "Nice to finally meet you."

It was strange to see how nice she was, especially knowing how many times he and his mentor had put her husband and eldest daughter behind bars. "Mrs. Crock," he replied coolly, playing it smooth in offering his own signature grin.

"Please, call me Paula."

_"You can call me Bruce."_

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><p><em>"Thank you, Mr. Wayne." His blue eyes took in the house, knowing he should've enjoyed every second of this. Any of his circus family wished and prayed for a house like this. He had it and only felt miserable. He didn't deserve it. This was the <em>prize_he'd won in his parent's deaths. He lost his parents and won a house._

_What a sick, twisted world..._

_"You can call me Bruce."_

_The man, when Richard looked, was standing right by his side, hands clasped behind his back. Bruce Wayne carried himself regally, like a god among mortals, but he wasn't afraid to step down. Step down to just a Bruce, no Wayne attached._

_"Bruce," confirmed a nine-year-old Grayson, looking up at a grandfather clock with sadness tinting his baby blues. He forced a smile. "You can call me Dick."_

_It was the first time Dick had ever seen his foster father smile, and it was not a moment to forget. "Dick," confirmed Bruce with a satisfied, relieved sigh._

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><p>He snapped out of it like a man waking from a coma, breathing slightly hitched, eyes filled with fear. He managed to keep it under wraps the best he could, Artemis noticing the difference in him only as a friend could. Dick managed to keep how grin solid as he confirmed, "Paula."<p>

And the woman retracted her hand from his grasp to wheel herself towards the kitchen. "Now go fix up that room, you two. I'll have dinner ready in an hour."

Artemis picked up two of the duffel bags and left the last for Dick. "Come on. To the hallway." She had expected it to feel weirder, her teammate meeting her mom. Of course, she'd expected her ID to be kept a secret forever, but since that hadn't happened, she hadn't had much time to consider any of the team to meet her mother. Her father, sure, but not in such a casual way...

Artemis ducked into the hallway and around a corner, through another doorway and into the room. She dropped the bags on what had once been her sister's bed; the poster had been taken down. "Your side," she indicated. And she backed up to sit on her own bed. "My side."

"Fair enough." He shoved his bag under the bed. She immediately knew it was the bag with his uniform in it. "As long as you don't sleepwalk."

The girl leaned back on her bed, hair spilling out around her like the rays of the sun. "I don't." Her eyes shut as her muscles relaxed. "Or at least I don't think I do."

There was a quiet pause between them, and the archer leaned over to flip on the radio on her alarm clock. Some song about not wanting to be a queen came on.

Dick's voice piped up after a few minutes of verbal silence. "How does your mom cook, exactly?" he questioned, honestly curious while he hoped he wasn't offending. The wheelchair had to be limiting…

Holding her hands up in surrender, the girl answered, "I wonder the same thing myself."

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><p><strong>AN: Review?**

**~Sky**

**P.S. BTW, don't start judging the fact that they share a room. It's my set-up. No hormones here. Don't even think about it.**


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Writing while watching tv. Such a bad combination, but "Suburgatory" is an addiction…**

**Disclaimer: No.  
>Warning: Contains swearing in a foreign language.<strong>

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><p>The silver moonlight filtered in through the curtains as the faint wisps of autumn wind found their way through the window's open crevice. Outside, a car blasting music roared past, tires screeching like a barn owl.<p>

Artemis stuck her head out the window. "Damn it, turn down the music!"

In the other bed, the sound of cackling laughter sounded. "So you're the screaming neighbor no one likes?" he questioned.

From the other side of the wall, they heard, "Damn do ngu cho de!"

Both kids fell back in their beds, stifling laughter behind cupped hands. Dick was the first to speak up through the giggles. "Does she know we speak Vietnamese?" questioned the acrobat as another chorus of snickering struck up in Artemis.

"She knows I do," the girl said, burying her face in the pillow. She hadn't had a night like this since Jade left. Giggling until the sun came up. Yelling out the window. Talking. Just talking. Jade had always loved to talk, but Robin was so much more mature, much less chatty. He liked to talk himself as much as he liked just listening.

Although being trapped in the Watchtower may have done that to him.

"Such cruel language from her." Grayson pulled the blankets back up around him like a cape; it was almost terrifying how much the mere feel of a blanket like a cape around him. He nestled himself into the pillow.

"I know, right?" She wrapped herself up in her own little cocoon. "She does that… sometimes…" Artemis watched as the clock ticked to three in the morning. "A lot, actually." The archer rolled over and propped her head up with one elbow, looking to the kid. "Dick, it's nearly three A.M. What the fuck are we still doing awake?"

"Laughing because your mother has a potty mouth." He tossed a smile her way, the moonlight cast on his face through the windowpane. "And it looks like you caught it too."

"Don't complain," scolded the blonde, reaching under her pillow before tossing a chocolate chip cookie at him. "I got snacks."

"You con artist." He felt it land on the blankets near his abdomen and let his fingers wander along the covers until he found it. "You should really go into the bad guy business."

"Trying to break that habit, thank you very much." She grabbed her own cookie and bit into it, the regret almost immediately washing over her as she realized there would be damn crumbs everywhere. Of course, it was mostly Jade who cared about that. Jade was gone. She didn't have to care anymore.

Dick munched on his cookie. "So where'd you put the poster?"

She froze. "What?"

"Cheshire cat. Alice in Wonderland. I know. The impression is basically burned into the wall. It was there for years, obviously." His inquisitive blue eyes glowed in the darkness. "Why'd you take it down?"

Artemis swallowed hard. "You're good at the whole detective thing."

"Observant. I was taught by the best." He took another bite. "So Cheshire's your sister, right? I knew about Sportsmaster, but Cheshire is news to me."

"Somebody did his homework." Cheshire was a secret she was hoping to keep. Sportsmaster was out of the bag, but Jade was one cat she wanted to keep in that damn bag. "You should stop doing your homework."

"We have school in less than forty-eight hours, so you shouldn't be saying that."

Hostility boiled in her veins, but Artemis pushed it down. He had his quirks; what else could be expected? Jade wouldn't be kept under wraps forever. Maybe it was better he knew. "I took it down because I didn't want you to figure it out." She ran a hand through her hair, strange to feel it down around her neck in anyone's presence but her mother's. "And because, you know, I'm starting something new. You're here, she isn't. Game over, Alice out of Wonderland." Artemis shoved the cookie back under her pillow, not hungry anymore. "I have to get over her at some point."

A shadow crossed his face, dark and haunted. "I know what you mean."

Well crap. Context and audience were not very good. "Hey, that was when I was, like, seven. Almost a decade later, I should be over it." Artemis really wished she would've just kept her mouth shut. Roy had versed her in how to deal with him, but she wasn't keen on that in the first night. "You're still young."

"I'm fourteen, my parents died five years ago, and I'm still not over that, Artemis."

The story of The Flying Graysons was like a bedtime story when she was younger, something that was in her nightmares, parents falling to their deaths while a child watched on, left behind in the real world with no one to turn to. Now she was staring at him in the flesh with fresh wounds and a healing heart. Richard Grayson, the last of The Flying Graysons.

"You're one of the strongest people I know," she said, voice soft and slow. Her eyes were on the floorboards that separated their beds, unable to look at his miserable face. "You survived once, Dick. Bruce is still… raw… You can do it again." Artemis bit her lower lip, wishing that words came easier to her, but talking to an orphan when her own parents were alive, albeit sometimes in prison and sometimes missing for weeks at a time, and felt lucky that she wasn't him. Jade was a lost cause, but maybe he had enough extended family to survive. The Justice League. The team. His friends. These were the people he had. The archer had only had Jade. And now she had him.

His bed creaked for a moment as he settled into the mattress. "I know." His voice was weak, holding something of surrender. "I just…" Dick smiled in the darkness, his blue eyes falling shut to hold everything back. "I just need to pull myself out of the rabbit hole. Alice needs to get out of Wonderland."

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><p><strong>AN: Review?**

**~Sky**


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: Really a strain on this chapter or else it would've been up sooner. It was just really hard. I knew what I needed, just not how I wanted to end it. Sorry that it turned out kind of crappy. Just had to power through.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

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><p>"You grabbed our lunches, right?" asked Artemis as she locked the apartment door behind her, making sure the place was sealed up tight before heading for the building's front door. She felt a hand smack her arm lightly, and with a quick glance, she saw the kid holding out her lunch while sticking half a waffle in his mouth. She snatched her lunch from him and shouldered open the front door.<p>

Dick shielded his eyes against the sun's blinding rays. "Crap that's bright."

"What can I say?" laughed Artemis, propping the door open with her foot to let him and Roy out into the sunlight. "We live in a cave."

He had to pretend like he didn't hear it. He just managed to choke down the rest of his waffle; Grayson quickly learned Artemis didn't wake up on time, nor did their shared bathroom accommodations work very well. Must've been easier with Jade, that was all he could figure.

Behind them, Roy was checking his watch. "What time does school start?"

In-sync, they answered, "Seven twenty."

His lips pursed, and his blue-tinged eyes glanced up at the young Gothamites. "You have ten minutes to get to school." He saw them both turn with panic scrawled across their faces. "And Gotham Academy is halfway across town."

They shared a brief look before pulling their bags tighter over their shoulders and hauling ass down the street, jumping over anything in their way and dodging the people along the sidewalks.

Dick even vaulted over the hood of a car.

When Harper saw it, he knew this would work all too well. (As long as the kid didn't get hit by the damn car, anyways...)

Seven minutes and forty three seconds later, the two were standing on the school grounds, sweat on their brow, relief sweeping over their features. "Totally...," panted Grayson, "...did not think... we would make it..." A smirk was on his face, bright and alive. It was like being Robin again. Minus the cape, mask, grappling hook, and utility belt.

"We did," huffed Artemis, bent over trying to catch he breath. "And I vote... we never try to pull that shit... again." Her voice was raspy, her throat scratchy and begging for water.

"Better yet," Dick said almost breathlessly, "I vote Roy... gets a car." He knew they'd left the elder archer behind outside the apartment, but some part of him expected the redhead to come up behind him and just smack him upside the head or give a snappy remark in his typical Roy way.

"Alright, I second that."

The bell gave its shrill whine: school began.

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><p>"So you managed to get Richard Grayson to move in with you and your mom?" asked Babs with a curious look to her friend; one scarlet eyebrow was raised with the question.<p>

Barbara Gordon was the one who had helped with the "rescue mission" as Artemis had described it to her. Babs and Dick were good friends and the redhead was willing to give up information about Dick's day-to-day life that not even Roy and Wally knew. Like how he never locked his locker, kept his books hidden carefully in each classroom so he didn't have to carry them, and was generally happiest on Mondays. Artemis could only figure this was because he _survived _the weekend.

Alfred had helped with other parts after Roy had coaxed him with some questions and the offer of getting Richard back under the manor's roof.

The archers were exceptionally pleased with how it was all working out. Just according to plan.

"He's here today," said Artemis, taking one look at her squished sandwich before shoving it in the paper bag again on the decision to give it to Roy later. Whether he ate it or not was up to him, but she could only think it would help with his current ramen diet. "Took the liberty of putting you guys in at least one class together with some help from high people." Green Arrow had been a big help, as had Iris in keeping the press at bay on Grayson's long-awaited return to society.

"Which class?" asked Babs, immediately intrigued. Before Artemis could answer, she continued, "But this is just so I can help take care of him, isn't it?" A faint smile played across her lips.

Artemis let out a sigh and watched the edge of the campus where Roy was coming from to linger for the last hour of school. He was lucky he'd found such random part-time jobs. "Between you, me, and Bette, he should be fine."

But that was if she was being optimistic. Because the reality was that they couldn't watch him every hour of the day, there was no possible way for him to completely emotionally recover, and this set-up wouldn't bring him back to full-power. So they'd have to force it on him. He knew he wanted to be Robin, they knew he wanted to be Robin, and the only thing standing in the way was the emotional aspect.

Once that was healed, he would be back behind a mask in no time. How to heal him was the final question. One that Artemis already had a solid answer for.

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><p>"Someone was obviously playing with my schedule." He shot her a look as he slid into the stool beside her at a lab table. 'CHEMISTRY' was written across the front board, glaring and obvious. "Weren't you, Miss Puppet Master?"<p>

"Just wanted you to have friends nearby." She snatched one of his pencils, a bit frustrated with herself for leaving her own in her English class two periods ago. "Roy said it was a good idea too."

"He kind of seems like a stalker. Especially being eighteen and hanging around a high school." Dick dumped a notebook on his side of the table, aware he wouldn't need it but knowing he'd look good just having it out. "Think he'll get the cops called on him?"

"Repeatedly," laughed Artemis. Her gaze fell past the boy and out the window to see Roy stalking around on the school grounds. (She tries her best to keep from giggling, honestly.) "Pedophile, anyone?"

A snarky smirk lit up Grayson's countenance. "Well, he _does _seem to hang around with us a lot."

The teacher was calling attention to the front of the room, already talking far too loud. Artemis, not done with bagging on Roy yet, gave a discreet cough, "Roy's a pedo."

Beside her, Dick covered his mouth to keep from snickering.

To her, it felt like Robin had never left.

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><p><strong>AN: Making fun of Roy and random school stuff. Don't expect me to drabble like this regularly 'cause it was boring as Hell for me to write. Just leave a review. Or don't.**

**~Sky**


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: Longer and better. Had to rewrite from a certain point because I couldn't focus or visualize what was going on due to a random thought and exhaustion. So here's a better chapter from the last one.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story.**

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><p>Two weeks later, he sat outside the school on the front steps, watching Barbara's car slide into the dark night and disappear. Dick put his chin in his hand and pulled out his phone, trying Artemis for the third time.<p>

After seven rings, he hung up; he knew she wouldn't answer.

And Roy? The discussion had gone a little something like-

"Roy, where are you? And Artemis? She isn't picking up."

"I know I'm late." He sounded out of breath. "But I'm locked in a closet."

"_What?_"

"So I'm at work, right? Some douches shove me in a closet and now I can't get out. I've been pounding on the door for almost two hours, but everyone got off forty-five minutes ago and the next shift doesn't come in for another hour."

"You're locked... in a closet? Why am I having a hard time believing this? You guys were supposed to-"

"I know, Artemis promised, but she got called in for a mission. She texted me and told me to pick you up, but I'm in a freaking closet, Dick, and I can't break down the door without getting fired."

He knew Roy needed the job. Badly.

"Can you get a ride with Babs?"

"Opposite sides of town."

"Bette?"

"Left after final bell."

"Well shit." Roy paused. "Wait for Artemis or just go on home. As soon as I get out of this closet, I'll be check in on you, okay?"

"Can't you just call a locksmith?"

"Building's locked up."

"Hey, Roy? One word: Locksmith. Emphasis on the _lock_."

"This is why we keep you around." He hung up.

Two hours later, he was still perched on the front steps, wondering when his saviors were coming. Sure, he could call Babs or Bette, but they had things to do; he didn't need to bother them.

Besides: he wasn't a child anymore. He could take care of himself. Grayson grabbed his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and headed towards the apartment complex, walking under every streetlight and dodging the worst alleys and corners. Now that he was home, he knew every corner, every crook, every dealer. This was his paradise. This was Gotham City.

The sun had fallen from the sky less than twenty minutes ago, and it was already as dark as the Batcave when he set off for home. It was the prime mugging time.

Internally, he wondered if Roy was really stuck in a closet.

Just from walking two blocks, he'd already watched two muggings and witnessed a pickpocket at work. The crime level in the city was at it's worst with the fall of the Dark Knight. Without the threat of a Big Bad Bat, criminals were free to roam. The Justice League's rotating heroes were the only threat to their businesses, and with heroes who knew nothing of the territory or the villains, danger was at its peak.

All he could do was look on.

Guilt was practically eating away at him, but what could he do? He was in his civvies; he was Dick Grayson! Dick Grayson was a sad sap who didn't talk much after his father's death. Throw a birdarang? Robin had died along with the Dark Knight in that fire. Interrupting anything would show that Robin was back in town when he really wasn't, and it would give away Dick Grayson as an underground vigilante. And he knew where the press would go with that...

And the chances of him missing or just failing altogether? Nothing could strike fear through him more. Failure now loomed on every horizon. Batman had been his idol, the flawless hero, the man who never made mistakes. Robin merely tried to be him. If Batman had made a mistake and died, the mistakes that Robin made were that much more dangerous.

The mere thought of being a hero loomed before him, a ghost from the past he wasn't quite ready to confront.

A good ten blocks (and three shootings, four more muggings, two rape attempts, a stabbing, and six drug deals) later, Dick was at the final alley that would lead right to Artemis's front door. He had to remind himself that it was his front door now too. All that stood between him and safety was one of the most notorious spots in Gotham. And a little known fact: the place where Bruce's parents were killed.

He tried to keep that thought tucked away, out of sight, out of mind.

Deciding to risk it, the raven-haired teen bolted across the street and into golden pool of light from the opposing dim streetlamp. He just knew he couldn't be in the dark too long.

"Now or never, Grayson."

He began his mission: get through the alley.

"So he _does _still exist," cooed a voice from the shadows as a black shape drifted to block off the mouth of the alley. Checking over his shoulder, there was another blocking his only other exit. "The diva's daughter, boys. The charity case." The third dropped from a fire escape, crashing down right in front of Dick. He wielded a rusty pipe.

The other two were closing in; light glinted off of a knife's tip, and from the other, the ring of an aluminum bat hitting metal resonated through the thin strip of gravel path.

"How much do you think we can ransom him for?" came the same chilling voice. "Millions?" A low cackle came. "_Billions?_"

So much for avoiding the danger. He dropped his backpack and waited for one of them to make the first move, fists up and ready. With what little training he'd kept up in his absence from Robin, he was almost certain that he could take all three without too many problems.

The pipe swiped at him.

Ducking and knocking the man's legs out from under him, Dick heard that pipe clatter to the gravel-coated ground. Looking up in time to see the glint of the knife, he rolled out of the way to dodge a slice right across his forehead. He was out of their circle, no longer surrounded, but that was only half the battle.

"Damn kid!" The aluminum bat was whizzing through the air, right towards his shoulder. "Stand still, would ya?"

A swift upper cut and his hands released the bat; it clattered against the pipe. Dick seriously considered running, right then, but he needed his backpack yet...

The blade caught his forearm. A hiss of pain escaped between gritted teeth as crimson blood began to trickle down towards his fingertips, striping his skin red. Dick turned and gave a hard kick, sending the weapon right out of the larger man's hands and making him screech out in pain from an obvious fracture.

From the ground came a roar, and he didn't look down in time to see the man lunging up at him. The air rushed out of his body as he took a shoulder to the stomach, pain instantly blooming red-hot where he'd been struck. Beneath him, Dick's legs gave way to the sudden blow.

"Now he's ours." The aluminum bat and pipe were back in capable hands, the three figures standing over him like black specters. "Hear that, money bags? You're going on ransom. A few billions should cover it, don't you think?"

Dick stared up at them, determination ignited in his eyes. He'd taken down the Joker for crying out loud. These guys were trash compared to the big men he'd taken out over the years. One flash of his hand and _he_was wielding the bat, taking a few good hard swings at their legs as if chopping down trees. He was clipped with the pipe in the process of taking down the other two and had nails drawn across his cheek, but when all three were on the ground for a good few moments, he didn't stop to think a second time. Grayson grabbed his bag and ran; Dick didn't look back.

When he got into the apartment, he made sure to lock the door behind him. Dick let out a long sigh of relief before letting himself fully in.

Roy and Artemis were sitting on the couch, him with coffee, her reading a magazine. The tv played an old black and white movie. It was pretty silent considering they would have been ripping each other apart two months ago.

Sarcasm laced his words as he said, "Thanks for remembering me, guys. Love the help I got out there. Yeah, no worries, I'm fine, just got mugged." He dropped his backpack next to the door before moving towards the kitchen for food. "No big deal. Just go on with your regular lives."

Artemis looked over her shoulder nonchalantly; at the sight of blood streaked across his face and hand, she dropped her magazine and was off the couch in record time. "You're bleeding."

At her words, Roy was up even quicker. "I'll get the first aid kit."

For the next fifteen minutes, they tended to him like he was a child, cleaning up the blood on his wrist and face and at least putting some padding on the big blue bruise that now lingered painfully on his collarbone. Roy wiped up blood, Artemis took care of the rest.

When it was all said and done, his wounds tended to and all the blood wiped away, Dick only had one request. "Can someone please take me to see Wally now?" After all, Artemis _had_ promised...

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><p><strong>AN: Hoping this was long enough for you all. I know I get a lot of complaints because I write short pieces, but I feel like this is longer. Sorry for the fight scene, I was really struggling. Haven't done one in a while and this style was certainly harder considering I don't usually do random street thugs.**

**Anyways, review?**

**~Sky**


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: Responses:**

**FudoTwin17: Roy and Artemis were being incredibly insensitive and were really just hiding in the apartment the entire time. Or whatever archers do in their spare time. Not in a closet or on a mission.**

**DayDreaming0f y0u: Sorry to disappoint, but the bro action isn't coming.**

**Then just a general comment to you all- I find it hilarious that you're all HAPPY that Robin is coming back through brutal violence and bloodshed. It's cruel and terrible, but you seem to love it…**

**Disclaimer: No.**

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><p>"Try not to get mugged in there too," commented Roy with a wry smile.<p>

Dick returned it with a bit of a sneer across his features, which made the crimson archer's grin widen before he shut the door. Richard turned to look at the bed where his best friend lay, still stuck in his black slumber.

So this was what it was like: dead and on a table. Dick had seen him a few times before, but his own miserable state made it so that seeing Wally was just an excuse to stretch his legs. Now he was seeing Wally to _see Wally_.

And it almost made him feel worse now.

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><p>Almost three months ago, Kid Flash and Superboy had gone on their own mission, Aqualad supervising the two on monitors while M'gann lay in the shadows, ready to play back-up when the call came.<p>

The call didn't come.

Halfway into the fight against the Mad Hatter's men, the brawl had been taken out into the streets. It was easier for the two to fight in open air rather than cooped up in the warehouse. Wally had been taking care of the goons; although there were many, he figured he had most of them covered.

Across the street, just outside the main building, Conner listened intently to the sound of moving footsteps, intending to grab the Hatter and take him down without a hitch. Then he could be transported to Belle Reve within the hour, problem solved.

Wally was hit by a truck.

It was ironic that the fastest kid alive would be hit by something he could've outrun. Kaldur hadn't noticed it soon enough. He was more concerned with the fierce blow Kid Flash had just taken, and then, suddenly, a truck barreled out of the left side of the screen and slammed into the speedster just as he was getting up. The blood spattered across the blacktopped street and his body crumpled to the ground like a ragdoll, one arm bend the wrong way, neck at an awkward angle.

Aqualad called M'gann. M'gann contacted Superboy mentally before calling the bioship.

Six hours later, it was announced that Kid Flash was in a coma.

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><p>"Hey Wally," he breathed, dropping his sunglasses in his lap and putting his face in his hands. This whole time, he'd been miserable for himself and the realization snapped that his <em>best friend <em>was in a coma.

And that he might never wake up.

"Dude, listen, I'm sorry for not being there for you." He was talking to empty air the same way he talked to graves. It was strangely unsettling. "And I mean not just for this. For every time you ever needed a friend." Dick had barely made a sound and already it felt like his throat was closing up. Hot tears wanted to burn in his blue eyes.

"I don't think I ever got to thank you for letting me bunk with you and Barry." He forced a laugh. "I don't think I could've made it this far without a friend like you."

Those were good days. He could remember clear as day when he couldn't sleep in the Allen household, so he'd sit up in the middle of the night and look over to Wally just to make sure he was there. He'd have drool dribbling out of his mouth and one arm hanging off the bed. His hair would be tousled and a candy wrapper would crunch under his pillow whenever he rolled over. And Wally would be there, no matter what.

Now he was asleep again, this time by force. His hair was as spiky as ever, his skin paler that usual. Instead of one arm hanging off the bed, both were at his sides like a soldier standing at the ready. The oxygen was still strapped to his face.

And he was _alive_.

"I owe you so much." Dick shook his head, wishing he knew where to begin. "You were the first real friend I ever had, Walls. I hope you know that. Even then, you're more like a brother. I can't even make the joke that you practically lived at the manor 'cause I actually did live at your house so-" He broke off, having to swallow his emotions to keep them from pouring out.

This shit was hard. He almost found it funny how he could visit graves and have less of a problem, but talking to Wally, who was still alive under all the wires and monitors, felt near impossible.

"And I think that you and I should get hats like the ones from Roy's old costume and give his back and call ourselves the Three Musketeers and see if he gets mad." He tried to smile; the effort caused him a great deal of pain. "Because we haven't done that yet, you know?

"I just thought of what else we haven't done." He forced himself to reach out and touch Wally's hand. It was warm, making him want to cry even more. Tears were already dripping down his cheeks; he was losing face all too fast. "That time we made a pact to design each others' actual hero costumes? I'm still planning on making yours purple, just so you know. Because you'd hate that. And I still don't want to be Green Guy, if you've still got that one tucked away for later."

And God, if he didn't wake up...

Dick didn't know what he'd do. Roy was a brother and Roy was a best friend, but Roy was no Wally. Those were shoes no one would ever be able to fill.

"I love you, dude." He gave in and began to clear his blurry vision by wiping away the hot tears. "You're the best friend I could ever ask for."

Suddenly, his head was filled with the thought of a world without Wally West. A choked sob came, and Grayson lost it, unable to hold back.

"Please," Dick whimpered, "wake up."

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><p><strong>AN: This was physically painful to write…**

**Review?**

**~Sky**

**P.S. Bromance, for the record.**


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: Another chapter. Sorry for the last one being so depressing. Had to be done.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

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><p>"You have a punching bag?"<p>

"Uh, yeah."

Dick looked it up and down, one half of him knowing he needed to stay away while the other half begged to throw a few good punches or at least a kick. It was the first time he was allowed in Roy's apartment. The whole place smelled like cigarette smoke from the previous owner, and the walls were a dark gray. A dingy couch and the cracks in the ceiling completed the whole look. Richard decided it was perfect for the redhead.

"Make yourself at home, dude. This can be like our mancave. Away from the women and all their _drama_." He flipped a hand towards the door and threw himself over the back of the couch, landing perfectly on the cushions before reaching for the remote that turned on his old tv.

And Artemis let herself in, a can of soda in hand. "Homework done?"

"Yup." Dick was still looking at the punching bag. His fists were already clenched.

The blonde dropped herself on the couch beside Roy. "Alright. So what are we watching?" she asked. And as an after thought less than a second later she added, "Oh, yeah, Roy, you're cool to come over for dinner tonight."

His lips pursed. "You don't think I can cook for myself?" he asked with a bitter edge on his words. He could take care of himself and Roy felt like that was very clear from the beginning...

"So you want your ramen or my mom's homemade hotdog stew?"

He didn't even ask what it was. Almost four weeks on nothing but ramen was pretty much killing him. "What time?"

And Dick continued to stare at the punching bag, his fist slowly relaxing...

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><p>Roy heard the floorboards creak outside of his room. Having just gotten back from a quick patrol with Artemis (because the Justice League was doing a half-ass job), he was awake enough to notice the quiet noises of the night. With a sigh, he reached over for his baseball bat (he'd been told to keep one near at all times in Gotham) and made his way out of bed.<p>

The sound of footsteps continued around in his apartment; there even came the almost inaudible hiss of "Ow" as the intruder stumbled over something. "Damn, that hurts."

Roy put down the bat and rolled his eyes before throwing open his bedroom door. "Artemis? What the-"

"Dick's hiding under the bed."

Roy's eyes widened. He dropped the bat. "Let's go."

In the Crock apartment's second bedroom, there was the soft sound of Robin muttering to himself in Romani. Roy was the first inside, Artemis following closely behind only because she knew the crimson archer could deal with him better. She watched as Roy dropped to his knees and then to his stomach to look under the low-set bed. "Dick, c'mere." Artemis saw him reach a hand under the bed and try to get ahold of the raven-haired acrobat.

There was no response except for the terrified murmuring of foreign words.

"Dick, just come a little bit closer. You know I'm not like you. I can't get under there like that." He was about as flexible as a steel rod whereas Richard was more like plastic or rubber. The way the kid was contorted under there, Roy was actually starting to question whether he was stuck or not.

After a few moments, the boy began to move, first reaching a hand out to Roy, who quickly pulled him out of his predicament. The redhead dragged him out from under the bed like he was a ragdoll, the child grabbing onto him and threatening to never let go, foreign words still slipping from his lips.

Artemis's brows knit together in confusion, part of her wondering why he was so scared while the other part questioned why he was babbling in another language. The archer watched as Roy picked up the fourteen-year-old and put him up on the bed carefully, never making a move to pry Richard's fingers from his clothing.

"Dick, it's alright," he breathed. His brain could translate the words, but he knew he couldn't reply without messing up the pronunciations. So he just resorted to English, hoping that at least the sound of his voice would soothe him into a calmer state. "We're here now, and we won't leave again, I promise. You just need to stop crying. We're here, we aren't hurt-" One hand tightened on the back of his shirt. "-and nothing's wrong, Dick. We're back."

She had to stand to the side and just watch; the girl felt some kind of jealousy worm its way into her heart. Roy took such good care of Dick. Like a brother. Like the sister she never had. Damn Jade. Damn her.

It took a few minutes and more consoling than Artemis probably could've handled, but Richard's form was eventually pried from Roy, and when he could sit up without having to have a hold on the archer, Dick managed to get himself back to English. His blue eyes, wiped free of tears, glanced over at Artemis. "I'm sorry for, you know, hitting you."

A smirk actually crossed Red Arrow's face. "You hit her?" He smiled at the kid before grinning in Artemis's direction.

"Apology accepted," said the blonde, offering her own small smile.

"I didn't mean to," he defended quickly just as a force of habit. "It was just that I couldn't find anyone and you all left me and I couldn't find you or Paula or Roy and…" He shook his head, grabbing at his hair in both anguish and shame. "I just… I panicked." He was quiet for a long moment. "I didn't know where you were."

"Patrol," Roy said, fully standing up again now that Dick could manage his own. "We're trying to take care of Gotham even though we definitely shouldn't with you here."

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the floorboards by Roy's feet. "You could've at least told me," he breathed, trying to keep his composure. He felt bad that he'd panicked like that; he was trying to go back to being the strong kid he once was and hiding under a bed when he was alone wouldn't do anything. But at least with Clark, he knew that the Kryptonian was at "work" rather than just missing. "I'm fine on my own, I just need to know that you're not…" He didn't want to finish the thought, let alone the sentence.

"It's all good," assured Roy, ruffling the teenager's raven hair. "We'll just make sure that someone's always around before we head out."

"My mom works some night hours for extra cash, which is why she isn't around," explained Artemis. "Roy and I were just patrolling. We didn't think you'd wake up."

Dick shook his head. "I usually don't, but I had a nightmare. Then finding you guys gone…" He closed his eyes, keeping himself strong. He wouldn't falter; he wouldn't fail.

"We're here now." Artemis moved in and sat on the bed beside Dick. "And I'll work around my mom's schedule so that one of us is here all the time. We won't leave you alone again." _Not like Jade left me._

"Just leave a note," said Dick, moving to curl back up in his own bed, "that's all I ask."

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><p>Roy heard footsteps in his living room. With a groan, he grabbed the bat and headed out, ready to take on whoever was trying to steal his-<p>

And he heard the punching bag rattling by the chains and the swift, rhythmic movements of thrown punches and hard kicks. It was like music.

He put the bat down and went back to bed.

On the other side of the door, Dick Grayson was putting himself to the test. He wouldn't be afraid. Not anymore. Never again.

He wasn't afraid.

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><p><strong>AN: Review?**

**~Sky**


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: Sorry for the severe delay on this chapter. Honestly, I started it over a week ago, didn't like how the second half of it turned out, so I instead decided on this approach and finished it off, so here's the latest chapter. Sorry for making you guys wait; good news is, it's longer (:**

**Disclaimer: Really. I don't own this. Any of it. At all.**

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><p>"How was class?"<p>

"Boring."

"And how is your Barbara friend?"

"She's fine."

"Is Artemis keeping up with her class work?"

"As far as I can tell, Mrs. Crock."

"Please, call me Paula."

He forced a smile, letting his pencil rest from the homework for a moment. "Alright, Paula."

The one thing that was hard about the situation was having a hands-on parent again. His own parents were pretty tough about him learning first and training second, and even at the slightest hint of rebellion, they'd shoot him a look and he'd straighten up faster than they could say "zebra". His parents were always right there with eagle eyes constantly intent on him.

And no matter how annoying it could sometimes get, he loved it all the same.

Bruce and Alfred were... unorthodox. They had the same things going for them: watching him carefully and being hard as nails. The main difference was that Bruce watched from afar, from his computers, from his office, from behind a cowl. Bruce was always watching.

Alfred was the motherly parent where he would make the cookies, be fun, and give the best advice. He drove Dick everywhere, he tended to his every need, and he took care of him like only a mother could.

He loved them because they were so bad at parenting. It was almost laughable when Bruce tried to give advice or make the kid eat his vegetables. It just didn't happen; it was still hilarious though, watching Bruce try to be a good father. Alfred filled his role perfectly.

Now there was Paula.

Paula was hands-on: she never failed to ask the menial questions of day-to-day life. School. Friends. Homework. Paula was a natural, maybe not perfect, but she filled the hole. She had also come to the habit of harping at him to get his schoolwork done before he could go see Roy.

Oh, the woman knew how to punish...

And she was watchful, minding his grades through Artemis while doing the same for Artemis through him, not to mention getting Roy to keep an eye on the two at all times.

Advice, so far, he hadn't needed.

But he found it annoying in the same way he sometimes found his parents annoying. The occasional scolding while he was texting at the dinner table, especially when Roy was over, was one of the things in particular that he'd come to hate.

In the Crock household, he found there were many rules, all of which were broken on a daily basis in Wayne Manor and in his little circus trailer. There was no texting at dinner. There could be no tv, friends, or heroing before homework was done; clubs were the only exception to this rule. Paula always made dinner except for one night a week when Artemis had to cook just because the blonde couldn't always shuffle that off to her mother. The most important rule: no "extracurriculars" without asking. (Dick later learned Artemis had broken this rule repeatedly, hence why it was now in place.)

In other words, Paula Crock ran a tight ship for her disability and high profile children and the man living next door. She didn't take shit from nobody.

He respected it.

"Trigonometry?" she questioned from her place washing dishes in the kitchen. (Another rule: dishes always had to be done after dinner. Usually Artemis's job, but they played rock-paper-scissors for it now.)

"Pre-calc, actually." His calculator was set to one side, his pencil practically on fire from all the writing, and the paper was covered in scribbles of asymptotes and functions. "Simple stuff, mostly still review from last year."

The woman gave a laugh. "I was always better at Physics." She wheeled herself backwards, angled the chair so she could reach a cabinet, and put away a small plate. "For what little schooling I got, anyways."

"Here." Richard pushed back his chair, eager to take a break from crunching numbers. "Let me help you out."

A spoon struck the counter before he could even get out of his chair. "Homework first." A challenging gleam caught her eye, and, very reluctantly, the boy pulled himself back to the table and continued to pore over his homework. Because Paula knew how to tame children. After all, she'd raised Cheshire, hadn't she?

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><p>Roy had always been like a brother, and sometimes, he was even like a father. It just depended on the moment.<p>

"Dude, turn off the fucking lamp. I have bills."

Richard smiled and reached over to turn off the lamp. Because the tv's silent murmuring in the background was the reason Roy's bills were constantly high; he didn't do well in silence. He even left the thing on when he wasn't in the apartment because he hated coming home to silence, a reminder that he'd split from Oliver Queen for good.

That was brotherly Roy. Especially when he swore.

And then there were days where he was actually playing the responsible brother rather than the nagging, I-hate-and-love-you-at-the-exact-same-time brother.

"Fuck, did Artemis leave you at school again?"

"Yeah, but it's not a big deal. I can walk home on my own, Roy. As long as it's not dark out." The cut on his forearm was still healing up...

"She should've at least called, the damn bi... bistro." Settling his temper became harder by the day. Artemis did have a tendency to leave without warning and sometimes come in at the worst possible moments. "Fuck. She gets on my nerves."

"Please, Roy, feel free to let it all out," mocked Dick, a smirk on his face as he sauntered over to the couch to crash beside his ginger friend. "Paula isn't home, so she won't even hear you through the walls."

Grumbling, Roy huffed out his anger and decided against saying anything. Instead, he reached over and ruffled the boy's hair. "I promised Dinah and Barry I'd make sure this was a suitable environment for you to live in. Minimal cussing, no hard feelings, and no arguing. It was the only way we got you here. Artemis and I put a lot of time into getting you back to Gotham." And it'd take a lot more work getting him back in business...

"I grew up in a traveling circus and was trained by Batman." A quiet, melancholy smile was offered. "I'm pretty adaptable, Roy. As long as I have a friend close, I'm alright."

"Now you get all mushy with the feelings. God, Dick, you make my life so impossible." He groaned and gave the kid a careful punch. "Quit being so honest and simple all the time."

And even despite all the weird things, there was a fatherly Roy in the archer.

Because there were nights when Paula and Artemis were both out and Dick just needed someone to be with. Just someone nearby. For comfort. With a circus, you were surrounded by family whether you liked it or not. In the manor, Alfred would come at any hour. The apartment was a little different.

He'd get out of bed after finding Artemis gone, and he'd just put a red feather on his pillow so the blonde would know where he was. Then he'd head for Roy's apartment.

The redhead was stupid and generally left his door unlocked. Which Dick didn't mind. He was good at picking locks, so it wouldn't have bothered him even if he did have to do the extra work. But living in Gotham now, he should've had at least five locks. Like Paula had installed many years ago.

"Roy?" he'd called into the seemingly silent bedroom; the only sounds were the murmur of the television and the vigilante's soft breathing.

"C'mere and be quiet," muttered the archer, barely raising one hand to signal his awakened state. "I need a few hours of shut eye."

There was a blanket on the floor that Roy left down all the time. A pillow was there too, but Dick generally didn't use it, preferring to curl his arm under his head. "Thanks, Roy."

"No problem." He rolled over so he could make sure the raven-haired teen settled in alright on the floor. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah." He wrapped himself up in a blanket cocoon. "Just got lonely."

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><p>Artemis was the sister he never had.<p>

"Why is your hair so long anyways?" he asked, just wishing she'd turn the lights out so they could sleep. Instead, she stood in the bathroom, watching herself in the mirror as she tried to tame her golden locks.

"Because I like it long." She smirked and watched his tired and slightly irritated expression shoot her a threatening glare. "And I always liked Rapunzel when I was younger. Alice and Rapunzel."

"You do know that Rapunzel's prince gets his eyes gouged out in the end, right? That's the original Grimm version, anyways."

Artemis was actually glad she'd never had a younger brother before Dick had come along.

"So you have a blind prince. Does that make you want to chop your hair? And maybe, just maybe, turn out the light and sleep?"

She turned and gave him a very sassy look, eyes narrowed and everything. "_You_ are a _very _depressing little man."

"And _you_ won't turn off the _light_."

She indignantly turned around to continue brushing her hair. "Can you please be patient? I know you don't have to deal with girls that much-"

"Zatanna didn't have to brush her hair in the middle of the night," he snarked with a victorious look, eyes a little too cocky for his roommate's liking. "So I'm pretty sure you don't have to. Which means we might actually get to sleep tonight!"

"Zatanna's hair also isn't nearly as long as mine."

He muttered it so low that she almost (_almost_) didn't catch it. "But her hair's prettier than yours."

The devilish grin instantly rose on her features and the brush was dropped faster than someone could say "Flash". Because there were very few times where she would actually turn into the full-fleshed girl she was. In the dog-eat-dog world she was trained in, anything really girly was frowned upon and avoided like the plague. "No way."

His eyes widened. Shit. "No, I meant- I meant your hair is pre-"

"You and Zatanna?" she asked eagerly, a broad smile capturing her usually strict, straight features. "So the Watchtower wasn't completely useless." The blonde had flipped off the light and was already sitting on the edge of her bed, awaiting more with starved eyes.

Because talking with Megan was just too weird. Talking with Zatanna was normal. And Hell, for as much as she talked with Zee, she was amazed that Zatanna said so little about Dick. Maybe she was trying to hide it as much as he was. And maybe she could set them up, and they could double date with Conner and Megan or something... or something...

"Ha!" He pulled the blankets over him after smiling maniacally. "You turned out the light!"

"You little!" She grabbed the pillow off her bed and threw it at him, sending the teenage boy into a laughing fit under his blanket shield. "You're such a pain sometimes!"

He just kept laughing.

She huffed a sigh and tucked herself into her own bed. "Dick?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I have my pillow back?"

"No."

"You're such a _dick_."

He just laughed.

Artemis was the sister he never had.

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><p><strong>AN: I feel like Artemis is a little OOC, but she's gotta have her moments. Otherwise, uh, leave a review? Hope this was long enough for you guys!**

**~Sky**


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: Tried to update this last night, but got too busy. So here's the latest chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p>The alarm rang out, slicing through the November morning's crisp silence. Artemis reached out and slapped at the clock, only quieting the device after knocking it onto the floor with a miserably tired groan. She rolled over and pulled the blankets tighter around her shoulders, head sinking into the pillow as if it were made of lead.<p>

She listened to the sounds of leaves being blown down the street outside and the cyclic, metallic noise of her mother rolling around down the hall as she got ready for work. She even heard the dripping of the sink.

Then the girl bolted upright in bed, immediately brushing the long golden locks from her face. Terrified, her eyes swung to the opposite bed.

Shit.

"Mom!" she screeched, scrambling out of bed, throwing herself at the door. "Mom!"

Because he sometimes woke up early. And showered. Or read. Or messed around on his laptop. Artemis hadn't heart any of that. She couldn't even detect the sound of his footsteps through the thin walls.

"Artemis," breathed Paula, quickly wheeling herself in her daughter's path; her hands went up to try and stop her youngest. "Settle down! You'll wake up the whole street!"

Beyond her mother, the blonde could see the empty apartment. An instant breakfast was in the microwave. The television was silent. Artemis knew he was gone. "Roy!" she cried, banging on the wall. "Roy, get your lazy ass out of bed!"

"Artemis!"

The girl barely managed to squeeze past her mother and unlock the door for her fellow archer; just in time too, as he barged in a few seconds later, bow and arrow in hand, eyes alive and hungry. "What'd I miss?" he asked, voice a bit of a growl.

"He's gone, and he didn't leave a note." Her eyes narrowed as her toned arms folded across her chest. "Free will because his bed's made and there're no other signs of a struggle, but I'm still worried that he could've gotten hurt out there."

Roy snarled darkly; he threw down his trade's tool and retreated on fast feet to his own apartment again to grab a shirt. "Why do I always feel the need to kill him on a Tuesday? Why?"

"He likes making you angry on Tuesdays."

There was a loud slam. "Obviously!" replied Roy in a yell from behind his own door.

By that point, the whole complex was definitely awake.

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><p>Until the will was found, he had been charged with tending to Bruce's things. He went through the manor multiple times each day, taking care of the late man's personal belongings. He swiped a feather duster over things at least once a day and baked something whenever he had time.<p>

It was a rather dreary existence, moving in and out of empty rooms, seeing pictures of the two who were destined to never come home. Even when he ghosted in and out of the library, a glance at the picture above the fireplace, the portrait of Master Richard's parents, would bring back a wave of longing for his young master. The pictures of Bruce's parents about the house permitted him a reminiscent moment of when Wayne was young and careless, back when Batman was just a fantasy, not even a real concept.

Alfred, while walking past the aforementioned library, heard a scuffle. A faint sound that was oh so loud in the empty mansion so far from the rest of Gotham. He paused for a heartbeat, listening carefully.

No more sounds came. He carried on, perfectly aware that he wasn't alone in the house. He knew the security would've picked up on someone sneaking in. Alfred could only conceive that whoever had gotten in knew Wayne Manor's security like the back of their hand.

The butler did nothing but make his way up to the higher levels where Master Bruce and Master Richard had once lain their heads when they weren't hidden behind capes and cowls. Sure enough, he heard more shuffling behind Master Richard's door.

The sound of opening and closing drawers echoed through the mostly empty room. There was, occasionally, a thud when the intruder would drop to the floor to look for something.

He even thought he heard the _click! _of a lock.

But eventually, all the noise faded away after the sliding of a shutting window. Alfred allowed himself inside.

Within the chamber, everything seemed untouched. If Alfred hadn't been as observant or if his memory were less photographic, he never would've noticed the subtle changes.

There was a single scuffmark near the dresser. Marks lined the wall where a slightly dirtied hand had been placed. Around the keyhole one of the locked drawers were tool marks. And on the nightstand, a picture frame was missing.

Stoically, silently, the butler retreated and shut the door once more behind him. He checked the clock at the end of the hall and smiled to himself.

All he asked was that Master Richard made it to class on time.

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><p>"No food for you!" barked Artemis, shrugging on her jacket as she snatched the carton of orange juice from the fridge.<p>

"Art-"

"You left, didn't tell us where you were going, and came back late," she huffed indignantly, pulling her hair out from under the collar of her jacket. The blonde shot him a cold glare while shouldering her way past him and towards the apartment's door, reaching for the keys to lock up. "Not my fault, Dick."

He gave a sigh, fingers pressed to his temple while his other hand held their brown bag lunches. "I was out for a jog, Crock, is that so terrible?"

His stash had been stowed away only a few moments before the vigilantes had stormed in and attacked him with hugs and threats. The picture was wedged between his mattress and the box spring. Dick had shoved the BatLaptop in his one unpacked bag before kicking that back under the bed, hoping his toys wouldn't jostle too loud if they shifted. Last but not least, his Flying Graysons poster was rolled up and placed neatly under his pillow; he didn't hope to put it up, but rather just to have it close.

"Artemis, you can't starve the poor kid," groaned Roy, knowing he'd have to go grab the orphan a quick pick-me-up between first and second period. He stood outside the apartment, watching the girl shove her raven-haired roommate out the door before turning to lock up behind her.

The orange juice carton was tucked under her arm as she dropped the key back in her pocket. "He left without permission, and therefore I feel entitled to dole out corporal punishment!" Artemis was already rushing for the front door. "But if you're really that hungry." She shoved the juice at Dick. "You can have some juice."

Sarcasm dripped from his voice. "_Thanks_."

Roy followed the younger two very carefully, a shepherd watching over his flock. "You want a bagel?"

"How about a danish?"

"No, you're getting a bagel."

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><p><strong>AN: This chapter got what I wanted done. May feel like a lot of comic relief for you, but feels perfect for me. Next one will be up, say, Sunday? Reviews will keep me on time.**

**~Sky**


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N: As promised!**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own.**

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><p>He heard the door open and then shut, no lock ringing out behind his guest. Roy was sitting in front of the tv, forcing down some coffee to keep himself awake for the rest of the night. Sleeping now would leave him too foggy for patrol tonight, and with Artemis on a mission, there was no room for failure.<p>

Dick dropped onto the couch, just to the left of Roy; not once did the archer look at the former Boy Wonder. He just drank more coffee, hoping that the caffeine would be enough.

There was a long silence between them, but from the sounds outside, it was loud enough to raise the dead. Gotham police sirens howled their warnings. Dogs barked and thrashed against the chain fences of the nearby dump. A few gunshots rang out in the distance, the sound floating through Roy's slightly ajar window. (He was still trying to fume out the smoky smell from the last renter.)

Neither looked at the other except out of the peripheral vision of cerulean orbs; the only sound in the actual apartment besides breathing was the gentle buzzing tone coming from the tv's whirring fan while a muted movie ran it's course.

"I want you to train me."

Of course, Dick had chosen the perfect moment when Roy was just tipping back more coffee, and the surprise of hearing those words so soon caused him to nearly choke on the scalding liquid. A coughing fit overtook him, and Richard never once looked even concerned for his comrade. He just wanted the film pass on the screen.

A few hacks later, Harper was conscious enough to really turn his head and give the teen a good stare; he suppressed the pleased gleam in his oceanic eyes. "You _what?"_ he asked, voice still slightly strangled. He gave another cough in hopes to clear his airways while awaiting the bird's response.

"I want you to train me to be Robin again." The azure orbs stayed glued to the screen; he sat so calmly despite his still racing heart. "I want to be able to fight again."

"No way," insisted the redhead, now turning himself and hauling one leg up on the couch so he could properly look at the kid. "You're not going back to that again. It's dangerous, and-"

"And I want to be able to defend myself," he said, voice like steel. "I want to be Robin again."

Roy had to try and turn him away. "You're out of practice, Grayson. Taking you back into it now without any of the proper equipment would be catastrophic."

His voice was insistent; the boy's face was hardened to stone. "But I have the right equipment, Roy. I've got everything I need. My suit's in the room, I've got the computer, I've got enough birdarangs to last a while, and I have access to the schematics to make more, all I need are the funds, and the League-"

"The League won't do anything for you, Dick. They're against any of this." Roy actually felt protective. Sure, this was the plan all along, but after seeing him smile so much, the thought of putting him back on the battlefield made him want to pull the bird back and hide him away from danger. Yet he knew that Dick belonged on the frontlines, throwing punches and smoke bombs. "If you even bring it up to them, you'll be shot down and taken away."

Richard's jaw tightened.

"You don't want to be taken away from us." Roy's words had grown… soft. "You may not be happy with Artemis all the time, but she's watching out for you. Mrs. Crock, too. They just want what's best for you. Like I do." He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, trying to keep his cool and not get all emotional over this; he'd lost Dick once, and he refused to lose him a second time. "We're really your best option at this point, and if you want funding, you'll have to help me find the will."

"I'm working on it."

One reddish brow rose. Hostility flared up about him. "_W__hat_?"

His breathing hitched for a moment before leveling out again perfectly. Calm. That was the goal. Calm. "I wasn't jogging. You know that." He blinked a few times, keeping his gaze on the tv with a quiet struggle. "I raided the manor. I got some things. It's… It's enough to give me a better stance as Robin. I won't be going out as blindly as you two do. I'll be able to actually _work_. Like I used to."

"You're interfering, you know that, right?" He reached over and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, which was shrugged off barely a heartbeat later. "You're making it harder for us to defend ourselves. If the League catches you doing that, y-"

"I'm gone." He swallowed the sorrow. "I know."

A long silence drifted between them.

Roy was biting back words, trying to stop himself from saying things he'd regret. The whole plan was going perfectly, but now his morals were shattering any sense of loyalty to their scheme. Gotham needed Robin, but Dick needed to recover. Would Robin really heal him? It would give him what Bruce once gave him, but Roy doubted it would bring him back from the brink…

Dick blinked the burning tears from his eyes. He knew the risks and the consequences. He'd lose the closest thing he'd found to a permanent home. He'd be held prisoner in the Watchtower again, no Zatanna this time. Canary would have him under constant surveillance. The whole League would have him put under and take away his mantle. Permanently.

But it was Bruce who gave him that mantle. Bruce was a Leaguer. Even beyond this moment, he was a Leaguer. He would always be Batman whether the human race liked it or not. Even now, he's still Batman. There's no one else who could do it better than Bruce. Bruce was… Bruce was everything.

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><p><em>"You don't need to do this."<em>

_He looked up at the man who'd offered his home. He looked at the crumpled body of Zucco that was being carried to the back of a police car. "I do."_

_Even past the cowl, Bruce's jaw tightened, and Dick noticed. "But you can stop tonight. This is over. It can end here." He even reached down and put a hand on his ward's shoulder. "Justice has been served."_

_His brows furrowed, and the mask couldn't hide it. Lips curling downward, he said, "There's always going to be more justice due, Batman. He's just the first step."_

"_I can't promise to keep you safe every night, you have to understand that."_

_He laughed. _Laughed. _"If you train me right, you won't have to."_

_Batman gave a soft sigh, wishing he didn't have to do this; reflecting on his own path, he could only assume this would save the child from himself. Everything else that lay out before Dick was dangerous and hateful. Already, Bruce could imagine self-destruction through the guilt watching them die and wishing he had been alongside them in that fall; he knew that same feeling._

"_What are you going to call yourself?"_

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><p>"But I have every right to be Robin." The words were strong, insistent. He wouldn't accept any boundaries. Borders kept him in, held him prisoner.<p>

Dick wouldn't play a prisoner any longer.

He stood from the couch suddenly, turning to glare fiercely at his brother-in-arms. "Bruce gave me my title. He _let me_ do this. And I'm sure if he were alive today, he'd be glaring at all of you for even thinking of oppressing me! He'd be the first one to pull out the kryptonite and kick you all out of Gotham, and really, _I_ should be the one kicking you out for even _setting foot_ in our town!"

Growl ripping forth from his throat, Roy reached out and grabbed ahold of Dick's shirt, pulling him so they were face-to-face, eye-to-eye. "_Bruce isn't here_."

"_I know_." He shoved Roy away, taking a step back and nearly tripping over the coffee table. A quick breath was drawn in and then released while his teeth ground together. "You don't have to remind me. I'm painfully aware that he's gone, Roy, and I don't think I'm going to forget it any time soon."

That was when Roy noticed it. A long cut drawn across his pale cheek, red blood still dripping out and down his ghostly white face. He recognized the work of a sai. "Cheshire."

"Train me." His eyes were hot with tears that blurred his vision and made him feel even weaker. It wasn't just about rising back to his place in the world. It was about coping, about recovering, and about surviving. "I want to be able to defend myself again."

Because he was just lucky it was his cheek instead of his throat.

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><p><strong>AN: Review, please and thank you!**

**~Sky**


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N: Shorter chapter, I'm sorry. It's just how it goes…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own. Really.**

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><p><em>"We can't tell Artemis."<em>

_"Duh."_

Artemis was the first person Roy called.

_"She'll be pissed."_

_"I know, Grayson."_

The female archer was ecstatic.

_"And Paula-"_

_"Won't know anything about it."_

Well, at least Roy stayed true to one of the two.

_"Even when Wally wakes up, I don't want him to know."_

Roy didn't answer this time. This was a mutual agreement only because he didn't want any more stress on the speedster than there already would be. That is, if he were to ever wake up. Almost six months later, most of the League had given up hoping for a miracle.

Funny thing was, Dick said "when".

Artemis hadn't stopped praying. She'd retained every sense of hope and loyalty from when he was alive. After all, they'd planned this together, getting Dick back into Robin. The archers alone had conceived the fully fleshed scheme of where to put him and how to keep him there.

Roy... He'd always been Wally's friend, a good friend, maybe even a best friend, but he didn't have much time for hope or prayer. He wanted Wally to wake up. Hell, he'd even cried once or twice, but hope? He'd lost it a long time ago.

Dick. He still visited the medical bay every day he could. He still did research on coma-related things in hopes of helping Wally recover when he came back to them. He knew every detail, every symptom, every little piece that described the ginger's crippled condition...

It broke Roy's heart to have to walk him to the room where Wally lay and just stand outside the door and listen to Grayson speak to his unconscious friend.

Really, they could've used Wally right now.

_"Now come here, Dick. Lemme clean that up."_

Even now as they trained, the white line ran across his cheek, still in the healing process. A few more days and it might turn into a scar.

Roy felt the punching bag take a few more hits; acting as the human brace was no fun, but he couldn't risk damaging the walls on this place. He'd already broken the shower, and paying for that brought a lot of pain to his pocket. "Come on, you're faster than that," drilled the redhead, feeling the bag take at least a dozen more punches in rapid succession.

Beads of sweat dripped down Dick's face, his face tired and tinged pink. He had to stop for a moment, leaning forward against the bag and breathing hard. "This is harder than I remember."

"Muscle mass deteriorates pretty quickly," lectured the archer, releasing his hold on the bag and taking a breather of his own, reaching over for an icepack to put on the teen's forehead while downing a bit of his already opened water bottle. "You can't just expect to jump in and be back to full-strength. I mean, I know you trained harder on the Watchtower with Zatanna, but-"

Deep blue eyes widened like ocean chasms. "No one was ever there," breathed the acrobat. "And she swore not to tell anyone."

Roy kept the icepack pressed to his friend's race while the already pink cheeks began to fill in with redder hues. "I bugged the place. Had to make sure you were doing alright." He swallowed another mouthful of water. "I mean, you had Zatanna, sure, but you were otherwise unsupervised, and I was worried. You're someone special, Dick, and I couldn't let some new girl come in and take care of you."

"She was nice," he huffed, taking the ice for himself and shooting Roy a look that would've thrown dagger in the archer direction, definitely aiming for the kill. "I trusted her. And besides, she was working off of _your _instructions."

"It wasn't just about monitoring her," he said. "I also wanted to make sure you were fine. And I needed evidence that you were miserable." He looked at the tv's flashing screen as muffled gunshot rang out from the speakers. He watched one man drop dead of a bullet barrage. "I had to get you out before that became your permanent home, because I know Dinah was thinking about it before Artemis and I stepped in."

"I would've escaped." His eyes darkened. "I'm not a fool, Roy."

"This was your best choice whether you made it or not." He set down his water and took the icepack away from his agile friend; his brow even furrowed as he analyzed the rectangular mark that the cold object had left on Dick's forehead. "Now come on, back to work. The goal is to be back to gymnast standards in a month and strength standards in two. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

Dick put on a hardened face and stepped back, putting his pale fists up again, ready to go another streak of hits and swipes. His wrapped knuckles clenched tightly, white as snow. "I could've done it myself," he muttered almost inaudibly before he started throwing another round of punches; this time, he was more vicious.

He could've trained himself.

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><p><em>"Discipline."<em>

_The kid gave a tired moan and collapsed dramatically on the floor. "Bruce..." he whined childishly. "Can I please take the night off? I'm so_

exhausted..."

_Cowl peeled back to show the man's face, his grimace tightened, determination flaring up in his usually empty eyes. "Richard, what made you want to become Robin?"_

_A dark cloud passed through him, bringing a brewing storm; his jaw clenched. "Zucco."_

_"And how does winning feel?"_

_He huffed out a suddenly hotheaded sigh. "Good."_

_Bruce made sure he had his ward's complete and utmost attention before saying, "You need that same drive as you had with Zucco," he instructed sharply, "and you need to want to win. For justice."_

_He swallowed down the pain, realizing what Bruce was getting at. The sad difference between them was that Dick's old quarrel had been resolved quickly, whereas Bruce was still looking for the man who murdered his own parents. That never went away, and at this point, it probably never would. "Alright, Bruce."_

_The faintest smirked tugged the corners of the man's lips upward. "Keep striking. Make sure you're pulled tight, stay small. You can't give them a target to hit."_

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><p>In the end, it was all about discipline.<p>

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><p><strong>AN: Review…?**

**~Sky  
><strong>


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N: Long time no update, I know. My bad.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still not owning.**

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><p>"How's he holding up?" asked Artemis.<p>

"Fine." Roy took careful aim and fired, pinning the crook up by his jacket. The criminal's instant response was to drop the cash and try to duck out of his jacket to run for cover; Roy almost laughed. "He hasn't lost his touch. The only issue I keep coming across is how thin he is compared to how he used to be."

Artemis shot her own arrow through the top of the bag, trapping it against the ground without damaging any of the cash within. "Muscle mass."

"I know. But he's so _small_ now." Roy shook his head as he began to move down towards where the criminal continued to flail. Fire escapes rattled as he made his way to the ground off the gravel-coated rooftop. "I'm worried I'll _break_ him or something."

She gave a curt laugh, truly amused by Roy's fear of shattering their baby bird. "Red, he's been through Hell and back. I'm pretty sure he can take anything by this point. I mean, look at him. Circus and all, he's not doing too bad." She was on the ground moments after he was. "We saved him from the League, and the training alone should do a lot of good for him."

Just as the crook pulled out of his jacket and began to sprint for cover, Roy gave him a sharp blow with his bow to the back of the hooded man's head. "I figure as much, but that doesn't make him any less fragile at this point."

Artemis joined in and, as the thief tried to move again, gave him a hard kick in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. "You can't be afraid to get rough with him. Remember how hard we'd pound each other in training?"

Oh yeah, Roy remembered. Artemis and Dick used to go at it especially hard; it was definitely the factor of humanity that pushed them to their limits with each other. Who was better at being a non-meta? The sirens began to scream out behind them and each archer pulled out an arrow and grappled up to the safety of the rooftop again, aware that their catch wouldn't move. "Still," he began again once they hit solid ground, "we're responsible for him."

She gave a sigh and slung her bow over her shoulder. "Yeah. I know."

"It's like having a kid."

"It is." Her agreement was sullen.

The cops swooped in like hawks, stealing away the thief to put him in his rightful place.

"You think we're doing the right thing? Training him and all?" Because Roy rarely had second thoughts; his whole life had been based on impulses and doing as he saw fit in one moment even if he realized it was wrong in the next. Second-guessing himself was something new.

"It saved him once," she said, readjusting her quiver across her body. Her glassy gray eyes met his masked pair. "It'll save him again."

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><p>He was awake when she ducked back in through the window. "Hey," he said.<p>

Artemis nearly had a heart attack. She fell to the ground, bow jabbing uncomfortably into her thigh, and her heart was beating faster than a hummingbird's wings. "Jesus, Dick. What the hell?" Her voice was spitting and terrified.

From his bed, the boy actually cackled.

She left her bow on the ground and gave a sigh, pulling her hair down for the night and trying to untangle it the best she could with her fingers. "You scared me." Her gaze fell on him for a moment, watching as he sat on the side of the bed, feet dangling quite like a child's in a too-big bed. "You're usually asleep when we get back."

"You were out with Roy tonight?" he asked, head tilted to one side. His blue eyes were the only glow in the all-encompassing darkness.

"Yeah. There were a few pickpockets who got a good whooping. And then there was this guy who tried to rob the convenience store a few doors down, and then this other douche tried to kill Commissioner Gordon-"

"Is he alright?" Worry surged forth in his voice, and Artemis even detected the sound of his mattress creaking as he leaned forward to hear more.

She peeled off her mask. "Don't worry, he's fine. Roy even checked in with Babs to make sure she wasn't in any trouble. She okay." Sitting on the side of her bed, she pulled off her boots and then slid off the pack at her thigh. "We're taking care of Gotham the best we can."

A verbal silence permeated the space for a long moment; the only sounds to be heard were the cars outside, gentle breathing, and the sound of Artemis moving towards the bathroom to get out of her uniform. As she returned to the main bedroom in her fleece pants and tank top, the silence continued; it was only after she slipped into her bed that Dick spoke up.

"I want to help."

She knew _nothing_ of his training. Absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. No, Roy hadn't talked to her. Nope. "_What_?" she asked, letting shock seep into her countenance. Artemis blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what she was hearing. Because he'd only been training again for, what, a month? Less? He shouldn't be so ready so _soon_…

"I've been training," he confessed, voice shaking slightly. "Roy's been helping me again, but it was my idea. He- He helped me before, and I asked him if I could just use his training gear. I've been at it for a while now, and I think I'm ready again." His blue eyes were glowing even brighter now, and Artemis couldn't help but wonder if it's because he's trying not to cry or something. His voice was shaking enough… "I want to be Robin again."

Now she felt guilty. They'd put him in a situation that would pressure him to become Robin, watching his two guardians go out at night and put their lives on the line to protect _his_ town. Artemis swallowed hard, putting a hand over her face. God. What have they done?

This precious baby, this broken child, this beautiful soul, was going to be put at risk again. He could die. He would be in danger. And he hasn't even _healed_ yet.

What have they done?

"Have you talked with Roy?" asked the archer, sitting up. "I mean, this is a big decision. We don't want you getting hurt or- or-"

"I know, Artemis." He was painfully aware. Bruce had sacrificed himself for the greater good. Batman died protecting people; Dick knew his mentor would've wanted to go like that. "I haven't told Roy yet, but I want to do this." His voice was pleading and soft. "Do you know what it's like to feel like a waste of space? To be held down? To exist and not _live_?"

She didn't respond.

"I'll tell Roy tomorrow, but I want to do this. I want to be Robin again." His words were strong as steel.

Artemis didn't want to argue. She didn't know what it's like. She knew what it was like to be used and to be a weapon, but she had never felt useless in her life. "Alright," she said quietly, biting back all of her warnings and pleas. "But no solo work. I want one of us with you at all times whenever you go out."

"Fine." He didn't want to be useless. No more. He wanted to be worth something again. This life, this simplicity, this wasn't him. He needed to keep his hands and mind busy, and if crime fighting did it before, it would do it again.

"We'll talk with Roy tomorrow. After school." Artemis settled back beneath her blankets, her head resting on the dilapidated pillow. "We'll get rules set up and we'll find a way to get you some equipment and-"

"I've got it covered."

She wasn't sure how to properly respond to this. Artemis squeezed her eyes shut, hoping this wouldn't backfire; she couldn't stand to lose him. "Tomorrow."

With his worries soothed, the acrobat laid down as well, pulling the covers tight around him as if they'd protect him from all the monsters that the shadows sent. After all, another long scar would be seen come morning.

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><p><strong>AN: Review?**

**~Sky**


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N: Woah, hey, yeah, this story, getting on it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, I am so sorry for not updating, it's been on my to-do list, but it just hasn't gotten done…**

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><p>As they stood on a rooftop the next night, Artemis couldn't help but look at the glow of the moon reflecting on the bandage across his cheek. Twice her sister had broken in, twice Richard had been hurt. The thought of him being in danger whenever he was alone made her wonder whether he was really safest in Gotham after all.<p>

"Let's set some ground rules," said Red Arrow with a heavy sigh, knowing they'd be broken anyways. He'd known Dick for the longest time and not once had the kid ever followed orders like he was supposed to. Rules? It wasn't a word in his new dictionary. That, or he hadn't bothered to learn it.

Artemis was the only one in her civvies while the two boys were prepped and ready to go, Red with a quiver full of arrows, Robin with a loaded belt. "Stay with Roy at all times."

"Please don't just cackle and run off. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to keep up."

"And let's not pull any real tricks tonight."

The loose terms they were using left a lot of white space for the bird to bend the rules; Artemis made a quick translation, "No going solo, don't sneak in anywhere, make sure you keep in touch, stay quiet, no funny business, etcetera." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "We're serious. We don't want to lose you on the first night out."

He smiled and gave a curt laugh. "You have so little faith," he commented, appraising them both behind the familiar mask. "Come on, guys, I trained with the best."

Neither would say it, but both were thinking it: the best was dead.

"And besides, I'm not some kind of rookie. It's not like I'm out on my first run." And then his arms spread out as if he were trying to hug the sky, "This is my city! I'll be fine!" A big grin swept across his face. "Most of the really evil guys are locked up, so it's not like a whole lot could happen in one night."

Roy didn't look so sure. He and Artemis had fought off a lot of pretty insane people in the few months they'd been working Gotham's streets.

"Don't worry, Artemis," said Robin, putting a hand on her shoulder; God, he was almost her height now. "Roy and I will be fine. He's pretty tough and I'm pretty smart, so we'll take care of each other." The Boy Wonder retreated to stand at the scarlet archer's side. "So deal with your own business and we'll be back by midnight, okay?"

"I'm dropping you off at midnight," said Red Arrow, hand around the fifteen-year-old's neck teasingly. "Then I'm heading out to double check the block and meet up with Ollie for a few minutes. He wants to check in-"

"But he can't see Robin." Dick sighed, running one hand through his ebony hair. He shrugged and pulled the grappling hook from the side of his belt, pointing it to the sky. "Whatdaya do, right?" And pulled the trigger.

"Robin!"

"Dude!"

There was a long, low cackle and he was hoisted up to the next building, swinging above the ledge and onto the gravel-topped building. "Come on, Red!" he called down, watching as Artemis threw up her hands in defeat and Roy threw his bow on the ground, practically his signature move. "We've got work to do!"

"Dammit, Dick!"

"Just go, Roy," urged the blonde, giving him a little shove while she headed back to the rooftop's open door so she could get back to her empty apartment and lay in waiting. "I'll see you guys when you get back."

"Too slow, Red!"

He snatched up his bow again, connected a wire to his belt, and shot a wired arrow up to the rooftop, which automatically reeled him up to join Robin high above the rest of the city so they could overlook the Gotham skyline.

She watched their shadowy frames against the moon and listened as Robin laughed at something before bouncing off, Red Arrow rushing after the young hero. "Wait up!"

Artemis had other business to take care of, namely her sister.

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><p>"I swear, if you end up dead, it may just be my doing," growled Red Arrow as his partner bounded along with endless energy while the elder stumbled behind, struggling to keep up. Artemis was never this fast, dammit.<p>

"Well hey, just make sure you tell GA when you see him later." Robin dropped onto a fire escape, crouching there for a few moments while Roy stood above, watching over the city and listening while Robin watched both mouths of the alley as if expecting something.

On Red Arrow's belt, something buzzed and crackled to life. The police radio sounded, "Armed robbery on Kyle Street. There may be a hostage situation and we do have a visual on a live bomb inside the building."

"Let's go!" Robin was already swinging off.

"Rob, can you just settle down?" called Roy into the darkness, already losing sight of the Boy Wonder. Night masked the young teen, and Red Arrow was forced to charge into the blackness after him, carefully making his way down to the lowest level of the fire escape and managing a jump before bolting off. Somehow, he knew Dick would get there first.

It was ten minutes, after jumping over a few cars that had nearly hit him, and a long run later when Roy was finally outside the bank, which was already alight, burning money falling from the sky like fiery rain.

His initial response was to check on the building, knowing Robin could hold his own if it came down to it. He was a smart kid, not a ton to worry about with him. Red Arrow aided a few limping forms into the arms of the police and ducked inside for a brief moment to check for any others in danger. Once everything else was cleared, he let the firemen get to work and put out the worst of the blaze while he ducked out to search for his partner.

Soon enough, he saw a dark outline against the ivory moon. Hauling himself up escape ladders, he made his way to the top to join Robin. "You alright?" he asked, panting slightly from the exertion and heat. "You weren't down there."

"I know." His arms are wrapped around him, cape pulled tight to his lithe form. "It's just a little… daunting. Maybe it's the fire, maybe it's the memory, but I'm… I'm scared I'm going to disappoint them somehow. If I can't save someone or if I can't- can't cope with losing Bruce, I'll be letting people down." The mask hid his eyes and any pain they held, yet no tears lingered there or on his cheeks. "It doesn't bother me much anymore. I'm trying to keep going without him, and I _need _this. I want to be Robin so bad it hurts, but I can't… manage with the thought of not being there when someone needs me. You know?"

No. He really didn't know. He understood, to a certain degree, but he'd put fear behind him long ago and forced forward thoughts into his head. Things bothered him, sure, but not those kinds of things. "Not exactly," he breathed, stepping up to stand beside the bird and watch over the burning building.

"That's alright," he muttered. "It's just me." The wind tugged at the hem of his cape, and Dick held fast against the wind. "I'm sorry for not being down there."

Red Arrow simply reached over and ruffled his ebony hair. "Hey, don't worry about it." He quietly padded off towards the edge of the roof and looked back towards the Boy Wonder. "You coming? It's almost midnight."

"Yeah." He watched the building burn for a bit longer. "I'm coming."

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><p>"Hey, sis," breathed the assassin, dropping in through the window to the sight of her baby sister on the bed, bow in hand, head ducked, scarcely breathing. "How're you, 'mis? Long time no-"<p>

"Stop coming around, Jade."

The dark-haired Crock stopped and pulled off her mask, slipping it into her belt so it was tucked tight against her waist, a reminder that she could disappear any time she wanted to. "Is this about your new little friend who I keep running into?" she asked in a teasing, taunting voice. "He's quite nice, doesn't fight back at all. Submissive is probably the best word I can find-"

"Stay away from him," she commanded, sliding off the bed and rising to her feet, measuring up to almost her sister's height. Artemis's blue-gray eyes lifted to glare at her lost sister and she fingered the bow, grip tight.

"It's not _that_ easy to replace me," said the cat, flicking a hand towards the wall which still bears their shared poster, Alice stuck in Wonderland with the Cheshire cat watching hungrily. "I'm still your sister whether you like it or not."

"You left me." Artemis pulled the bow up, an arrow instantly nocked and ready for fire, the tip pointed at her sister's chest. "Sisters don't do that. You lost the privilege to call me family years ago."

There was a dark cloud in the room, tension echoing in every corner. Jade paused and reflected, dark eyes watching nothing but flashing memories. In a few moments, she was reaching for the mask, still tucked into her belt. "I'll see you around, Artemis," breathed the assassin. Slipping the mask over her features, she ghosted back to the window and disappeared into the night, knowing she was no longer welcome.

The door was pushed open, making Artemis point an arrow there almost a fraction of a second after Cheshire had vanished for the last time. "Woah, woah," breathed Dick with his hands up in automatic surrender. "It's just me."

And she dropped the bow and her own body to the ground, knowing she'd fractured any semblance of a relationship with her sister. She'd gained Roy and Dick, a better family than she'd ever previously had, but neither could make up for the blood bond she shared with Jade. They'd trained together, fought together, tried to kill each other. She didn't have that with the boys, and now she was realizing that she'd lost anything she could've repaired.

"Hey, it's okay," he murmured, sliding onto the floor beside her and immediately taking her shocked, limp body up into his arms as she had done for him so many times. "It's alright. Don't worry, Artemis." Her face found itself buried in his shoulder, searching desperately for comfort and love. "We're here for you." His hand smoothed her loose blonde hair. "She isn't."

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><p><strong>AN: Review?**

**~Sky**


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N: Wow, okay, this chapter turned out shitty. Shitty chapter is shitty. Like, I'm fine with the first part. I just despise the second part because it turned out like crap.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

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><p>"Brought you coffee." He put a mug on the shared bedside table.<p>

Her eyes were barely slits, and she didn't move. Artemis didn't even have the will to pull the blanket up to shut out the daylight... Daylight? "School-"

"I'm ditching a day," Dick said, moving to sit on his own bed. "I don't think it'll kill me. Not like I'll need to know whether the old man catches the fish or not. Ernest Hemingway may have gotten to the point of hallucinations about fish by the time he finished that novella. It doesn't take ninety pages to catch a fish, and I really don't care how big it is."

"You should be in class..." she whined, aware of how she was holding him back. He needed to be in class. He needed to be focusing on school and getting back to normal, not staying back with her just because she had a rough night with her sister. "Just go to class, I'll call in and say I'm sick-"

"Roy took care of it." Dick didn't offer a smile, but his blue eyes were focused entirely on her. "He called in and said I was off doing some last minute things at the manor and that you had ridiculous cramps."

She winced. The image of Roy delivering that excuse...

"Gotham Academy doesn't always accept 'sick'. Trust me, all those days of being Robin didn't exactly help my GPA, but studying during stakeouts did." His eyes didn't waver from her, concern lacing his visage. She still hadn't moved much. When he found her the night before, it'd been too dark to check for injuries so he'd just put her in her bed and whispered Romani lullabies until she was asleep. Now he was worried she was hurt. All night, he'd sat up keeping vigil over her tired form, afraid of losing her should Cheshire come back.

Now her eyes opened a little bit more. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and exhaustion lay in her limbs. Still, her movement was slow and minimal. Coping would be the hardest part; she'd severed a sacred bond, and losing Jade was something that would take time to recover from just as it had the first time. Artemis pushed it from her mind and tried to think about him. "You're planning on going to the manor?" she questioned.

This time, his eyes fell to the faded floorboards. He gave a shrug. "I don't know. Maybe?" Dick swallowed and kept his gaze level with hers. "Right now, my priority is taking care of you. How're you feeling?"

Jade. Jade was on her mind again. "Fine," she said, half-heartedly reaching out to take the proffered coffee. "Just... tired." Boosting herself up on one elbow, she quietly takes a drink, and, to her surprise and delight, he made it exactly how she likes it. Then again, detective. "More than anything, lonely."

He knew how that felt.

At that moment, Roy shouldered the door open. "Dude, danish." He tossed a plastic bag at the raven-haired teen, who caught it with catlike reflexes. Artemis took a bag to the head, unaware of the incoming projectile. "Morning egg rolls for Artemis." Then the redhead plopped down at the end of Dick's bed and peeled open his own bed. "And my fried chicken."

"Fried chicken for breakfast?" the blonde archer asked with a half-smile.

"It's past noon, Arty," commented Dick.

"Which reminds me," Roy cut in through a mouthful of crispy poultry, "do you know how hard it is to find a danish this late in the afternoon? I asked if you wanted breakfast, but no, you didn't want to eat. So I had to go halfway across Gotham to find a stinkin' danish in the middle of the day." Roy's azure gaze glared at the raven boy. "I should kill you for that."

"Please don't." Dick actually reached over for some chicken only to get swatted away by a gloved hand. "I just like danishes. I had some when I was traveling as a kid, so they're a pretty integral part of my day-to-day life. A danish is sacred, especially when very few places in Gotham actually sell some halfway decent ones."

"Why did I get egg rolls?" Artemis asked from her bed, now sitting up and peering into the bag, coffee held between her feet merely for stabilization on her wobbly bed.

"Egg, breakfast. Come on, McDonalds doesn't serve breakfast much past ten, people. It's not like I had many options!"

Dick gave her an apologetic look. "You eat breakfast while I shower, so I don't really know what you have. I do, however, know how you like your coffee, so I spared Roy on that one."

A "thank you" was said through another mouthful of chicken.

Brunch was devoured peacefully.

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><p>"You used to live here?" asked Artemis, staring up at the colossal manor, blue-grey eyes surveying the gothic gargoyles and stony slate.<p>

"Well, I was between a trailer and a train for most of my life." His eyes watched the door, hoping for signs of the ever-loyal butler as Roy pulled up to the door. The gates had opened, which meant someone was home, but whether it was Alfred or a child services worker was the real question. "Wayne Manor was a big step, especially since I got lost all the time..."

"I can figure why..."

The car halted in the silence and, once the engine was cut, three bodies stepped out of the car at the same time as one black-suited man opened the front door.

"Master Richard."

It hurt so badly to see the butler and to know that Bruce wasn't there. It'd been forever since he'd seen Alfred, and maybe some part of him was wishing for Bruce to be hiding with their housekeeper, but from the look on the elderly man's face, his hope was ill-fated.

He bounded up the stairs, nearly tripping over the last two steps, and barreled into Alfred; his arms wrapped tightly around the man's torso as his eyelids acted as dams for burning tears. "Alfred," he breathed, voice low like a whisper and happy as could be. "It's so good to see you."

He looked so much like Bruce...

"Not as good as it is to see you." Alfred gave a slight squeeze back. More than ever, he wished in this moment that Bruce were there with them to complete their happy little "family". "The manor has been almost silent since you left."

Almost. Dick smiled and pressed his face into the butler's chest, still desperately hugging him. Alfred knew.

"Now, may I offer some cookies to the guests?"

Reluctantly, Dick pulled away. He looked up into Alfred's face and asked quite like a child, "I get some too, right?"

"Of course, Master Richard."

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><p><strong>AN: I don't even feel this deserves to be put in here, but God, it was a bitch to write. I originally even had an Alfred flashback in here, but it sucked 'cause it made no sense with the rest of the chapter, so I just took the whole thing out and bashed my head into a wall. I'm just trying to set up for the next chapter more than anything...**

**Alright, um, bye.**

**~Sky**


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N: Well, here's this.**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Young Justice or any associated characters.**

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><p>"Guys, I'll be right back." Dick stood up and brushed the crumbs on the oak flooring before moving out of the room, leaving his caretakers to speak with his former caretaker. The boy barely saw Roy glance over his shoulder before the redhead fell deep into Alfred's story again, engrossed by some tale of Batman's heroism.<p>

Listening to the stories didn't bother him too much because he'd heard them all hundreds of times before. Even lived through some of them. The stories were just a reminder that Batman was dead.

Dick's mind had separated Batman from Bruce a long time ago, and these days, the fifteen-year-old spent most of his time mourning over Bruce. The death of Batman meant very little compared to the death of his father figure. Stories about Batman? It didn't hurt, barely even stung.

And anyways, he'd died a hero. If anything, Bruce would've wanted it that way. His parents died doing something innocent, just walking along an alley. Bruce died saving people in the same situation: innocent people who couldn't save themselves. Dick reflected that some people still hadn't survived the fire, but those who had gave all of the credit to the Caped Crusader for saving their lives.

Gotham these days was not in shambles, not a trainwreck, barely even destroyed. Once a week, two Leaguers would have to be called in to shut down something bad, but the city was otherwise cleansed. Batman brought out the worst of the villains, pitting him as their challenger in some evil scheme; without him, there was no need to be evil. Well, Penguin was still there, but he wasn't hard. Hit him in the head nicely and Arkham will openly accept.

So far, everything's alright. Nothing's going wrong.

Dick slid down the halls on silent feet, knowing where every creaking board was along the passageway. He slipped into the library and gave the picture above the mantel a quick glance. His heart gave an extra hard thud as he caught sight of his parents again, a picture never forgotten, just left behind. Looking up at them now, he realized he was growing into his father's shoulders and would probably end up about his same stature, but he was lucky he couldn't pile on muscle mass as well as his dad could, leaving him still spindly and small. Perfect for being Robin.

Pushing the picture of his parents momentarily from his mind, the bird pulled on a book and watched the grandfather clock slide out of place, maybe into place if you looked at it right. Dick ducked inside, taking the elevator down into his second home.

Bats. They hung from every inch of the ceiling. Even now, they spooked Dick. He wasn't afraid of bats, not like Bruce was, but when they all opened their beady red eyes all at the same time in awakening and all began to drop from the ceiling like kamikaze pilots, it did frighten him.

No. He wasn't afraid of bats.

Everything was just as he had left it a few weeks ago. The computers were whirring with the spinning fans cooling off processors while screens remained dark. The training simulators and other such equipment still lay around the cave, organized in a way that only Dick would understand. He moved over towards a panel in the floor, steps soft but echoing.

Motion sensors detected him and the panel slid open before a glass case rose out of the stony ground, two suits held within. One large suit, all black, a yellow symbol slapped on the chest. The second suit was small, sleek, red. Batman and Robin. The Dynamic Duo.

He looked in with a sad smile, running his fingers along the glass, tracing the symbol on his mentor's suit through the case. Then he moved to his own suit, an older one that he wouldn't for into nowadays, and mimicked the R of the uniform, drawing on the glass. It would never be like this again. Batman and Robin. The Dynamic Duo. It would never happen. Things would never be the same.

He moved away, over to the computers. Silently, he ran his scans and surveyed the surveillance footage from Arkham to look for escapees, but no one had broken out since his last check. Dick let the thoughts of crime melt from his mind, fading to distant memories. He would be at 'work' later that night, anyways. He could think about it more then.

He stepped back into the elevator and was carried back up to the main level. Still, even passing by the entry to the room where Roy and Artemis sat with Alfred, he didn't go in. There was more business to attend to while he still had proper access to the manor. Slinking past the doorway, he headed to the staircase, up towards his room.

The door creaked open, and he couldn't help but be glad Alfred didn't lock the doors very often. (Then again, maybe he'd left them unlocked for the day…) Dick slid in and let it shut behind him. The air was still musty, and the space was still dark as the drapes hid the day's sunshine. He moved to the drawers and reached under, feeling for paper, tape, anything of the sorts.

Bruce was no fool. A will couldn't be hidden in plain sight, nor could it be left with any honest lawyer. Really, it just didn't make any sense to have it with a lawyer because all of the attorneys in Gotham would just exploit his massive amounts of money. Dick was smarter than Roy in his search, maybe even a little bit brighter than Alfred on these things. Only a little.

Nothing under the dresser drawers. He pulled the piece of furniture out a little bit and pressed himself up against the wall, moving to check the backside. Nothing.

Carefully, he put everything back in place and carried on. Under his bed wasn't an option only because that was too easy. And because his Robin costume was under there; Richard would've noticed that long ago. So instead, he gently pulled down the blankets that hid his mattress and pulled out a birdarang to slice it open. There were no visible seams or stitches, so cutting it and searching fast was the best option.

Nothing.

Alright. Carry on. Dick pulled the sheets up and carefully tucked away the mattress again, knowing all too well that Alfred wouldn't need to look any time soon. The rest of the room, he could tell, had already been searched. It was pretty evident from the way that the dust was less thick in areas and how disorganized it had been left. So he slipped from the room and into the hallway, heading down the passageway to Bruce's door.

It was even darker in there, the thicker curtains blocking out any measure of light. Once the door was shut behind him, he stood there and waited for his eyes to adjust, drinking in the dank smell that still had traces of his always-prevalent cologne. The headboard of the bed loomed over the entirety of the room, and everything was neat and clean like no one had even lived there.

_"Bruce?" a small, dark-haired child asked from the cracked doorway. Inside, the room was dark, ominous, and daunting. Then again, so was the man sleeping within._

_It was easily past three in the morning, and he could hear soft breathing, borderline snoring. Hey, at least he was home tonight. The manor wasn't as empty as it usually was, and that put a happier thought in Dick's head. Then again, would he want to be disturbed on one of the nights when he was actually home at a decent hour? Would he want a child to bother him? Suddenly, any confidence he once had was long forgotten._

"_You can come in, you know."_

_The quiet snoring was silenced completely, and the boy froze in the light of the doorway. In the shadows, a broad-shouldered man sat up in the bed, his form barely visible against the looming headboard._

"_I don't bite."_

"_I know." He moved in on soft feet and left the door open behind him in order to see. "It was a bad idea to come in here though. I just- Usually, I go to my parents when…" He stood there, out of place and alone, confused and lost in the world. "Yeah, I'll just- I'll go, I'm sorry for waking you…" The boy turned to leave only to hear the man's voice coming through the blackness again._

"_The nightmares get better," he said reassuringly, tone like that of a father. "And until they do, my door is always open."_

_Well hey, being Robin didn't leave much time for sleep. Or nightmares. In a way, Bruce made the nightmares go away._

His eyes adjusted to the darkness and he began to maneuver around the familiar space. He checked under the drawers and behind furniture, working quickly. Eventually, they'd notice he hadn't come back for a while. It was a good thing Alfred made a good distraction. He didn't slit open Bruce's mattress and instead just felt for stitches or popped seams. Finding none, he moved on, feeling behind picture frames, opening up and shaking out books. Not like there were a lot of places to hide things in Bruce's room: the space was basically empty besides the big bed and a few places to store clothes…

The Batsuit. He had to have one in here, in case the Batcave was compromised or something. Maybe…

The wall was solid everywhere, his fingers felt it. He checked for signs of buttons. All of the books had already been pulled out. Maybe a secret passage way into a hidden chamber…? When the manor was built, closets weren't really a concept, so he couldn't even check there. The floor was solid, and every place he tried to pry up wouldn't work. Or at least not without leaving serious evidence behind. Then how would Bruce do it without evidence?

Maybe he kept his suit somewhere else. Dick sighed. He tried to be his mentor, but he'd fallen short in more ways than one. Really, Bruce was a secretive mastermind, the smartest man Dick had ever known. How could he even try to search for something that Bruce wanted to keep hidden from the world? He had to think like a Bat to outsmart a Bat.

He'd have to come back later, if he could escape Roy and Artemis long enough on patrol tonight. He moved out of the room, planning on heading back to his caretakers and his former butler when a thought struck.

Plain sight.

The door slammed shut behind him as he ran back to the library, a goal in mind. Batman hid in plain sight, normally, just blending in with his surroundings. The Batsuit, he pinpointed before leaving, was in the rafters. Where bats usually are. Where would he keep something that pertained to his family? Somewhere near his family.

He knew there wasn't anything directly related to Martha and Thomas within the walls of Wayne Manor, but he did know that Bruce's family extended beyond that. Now, anyways.

"Dick, where are you-"

"Give me five minutes!" he called out, not even pausing in his dash to get what he'd come for.

Faintly, he heard Artemis's voice again: "Roy, could you go-"

"Yeah, I'm on it." Heavy footsteps charged after him, not chasing, just following with intent. Because Roy could only figure that Dick was doing something important. Following him? Hell, why not?

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><p><strong>AN: Let's take guesses, shall we? Review, thanks for reading!**

**~Sky**


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N: Alright, I'm thinking there'll be maybe four more chapters. I've finally got an endgame in mind, and it's about time I finished this off. I'm sorry that it's been such a long, slow process, but I'm going to be happy when it's finished.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or any associated characters.**

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><p>"It should be here!" he said in exasperation, glad Roy had followed. It'd taken both sets of hands to pull the larger-than-life picture off the wall without destroying it. The hardest part was looking at the blank backside and realizing there was no will hidden there. Batsuits connected with bats. Family connected to family portraits. There was no reason for him to be wrong.<p>

"What are we looking for, exactly?" asked Roy, wiping sweat from his brow; the run was long and fast. Keeping up with Grayson along dark hallways and winding passages hadn't been a walk in the park.

"The will." His lips were pursed, his brow knit in frustration. A haze of puzzlement lingered on his features, simple confusion. "He would've put it..." Thoughts raced through his mind, one by one, each analyzed individually within nanoseconds.

"You're not good at finishing sentences today, kid."

Dick didn't hear him over the sound of turning gears within his skull. His fingers danced through the air as if calculating, maybe counting. "There are two more picture frames in his room, but those are easy. Cops would've searched there."

"It's not here, Dick."

A low growl of annoyance came from him: "I know."

"Then let's put the picture back up and head home. I need to get to work soon." Roy was already reaching down to stand the picture upright, dark cerulean eyes still on Grayson's flexible form.

"Alright, alright." Still clearly distressed over the lack of the will in the most obvious place he could imagine, he aided Roy in putting the picture back up.

They almost had it balanced when it began to tip, almost falling until Artemis slipped in for the save, propping up the frame with most of her upper body, careful not to touch the painting itself. "You boys would be lost without me," she laughed half-heatedly, prompting a grunt from Roy and some mumbled complaints in a spiteful undertone.

"It should be here..."

Artemis figured she'd ask Dick later and began to herd him towards the door like a mother guiding her child to an exit, out of harm's way.

Alfred stood in the doorway with a soft face, a witness to far too many crimes within the manor. He too had searched there. In truth, he'd searched the whole grounds, everywhere from the Batcave to the attic: it just wasn't there.

On the same note, Lucius was searching through the personal effects of Bruce Wayne's office, hoping to find something there. Alfred had been keeping posted on that search as well, making sure to answer each and every call that passed through the Wayne Manor landline.

"We'll visit again soon," promised Roy, throwing a smile back at the butler as they trio and the housekeeper passed through the entrance's foyer. "And we're sure you'll be seeing Dick around whether we know about it or not." Something of a glare was thrown in the aforementioned child's direction, causing him to grin slyly.

"Very well then, Master William."

Artemis cackled. "Your name's William?" she asked in a chortle.

He grumbled while she continued to laugh, Alfred shaking his head with a sad smile as the beloved child and his comrades vanished through the door once more.

Dick's face was pensive, twisted into contortions. It should've been there...

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><p>"But you think that it should be with family things because it's a family thing?" asked Artemis as she stirred a pot of spaghetti for dinner. "I'm not saying your logic is wrong, I'm just saying that it's obvious. Wouldn't someone have noticed before now?"<p>

"Two years later, yeah, you would think." His forehead was scrunched up as he pored over his History homework. "The place has been scoured by the greatest detectives of Gotham. Every place I can think of is clean, and if Alfred's checked the Batcave, then the whole manor is clean." Dick put down his pencil and put one hand over his face while leaning back in the chair, rocking it back onto the hindlegs. "I just don't know where else he would keep it. The Watchtower is clear, I checked it the first few days."

"Then maybe he just doesn't have one," suggested the blonde nonchalantly.

"That'd be stupid." Dick delivered her a look that said "now you're just being an imbecile". "The most important thing to Bruce, besides justice, was family. Not me, persay, but his parents, their estate, the Wayne legacy. He would protect it above all else, no questions asked." Slowly, he went back to his homework, heart not really into it. "And he wouldn't just leave  
>me to fend for myself..."<p>

"He taught you to survive." Artemis hated it when he got depressed and dark like this. Maybe it was the Bat side of him coming out. "He could've thought that was en-"

"No." The firm word cut her off crisply. "Bruce had an entire company to take care of, not just me. There'd have to be a will somewhere for that. Not to mention the manor."

"Alright," she said soberly, turning back to her cooking. "So maybe it's somewhere the cops couldn't search, Dick. You said you looked in the Watchtower and that Fox had checked his office, so where else can cops not get to?" Artemis glanced to him out of the corner of her eyes.

"Mount Justice, but it wouldn't make any sense to hide it there. Batcave, but Alfred obviously checked it and I gave it the twice over today."

"Then what about something you have?"

His forehead creased in puzzlement. "Why would he put it with my stuff?" questioned the bird.

She uttered one word: "Family."

Dick closed his eyes and leaned forward, hunching himself over the table and practically burying his face in his textbook. One hand ran through his ebony hair. "I think I would've noticed it before now, Artemis."

She shrugged, continuing to stir while lighting another burner to heat up the sauce. "I'm just trying to help," Artemis responded dully. "I'm not as smart as you, but it's coming down to the wire. We're running out of ideas, and if this is what it comes to, you should be willing to try anything." Her lips pursed for a moment, realizing that finding the will could mean losing him, mean that someone would take away her baby brother; Artemis hadn't been so close to anyone in a very long time. Dick and Roy had pulled her out of her shell.

He gave a soft sigh, frustration flowing in his veins.

"Here." Artemis left the stove for a moment, heading over to him. Reaching over his shoulder, she shut his book for him and mussed his hair like Roy usually would. "Put the homework down and go look through your stuff. Humor me."

Now it was for pride. He wouldn't be proven wrong. "It's not there, Artemis," he breathed. Dick stood and, after throwing an annoyed look in her general direction, headed back towards their shared bedroom. "I know it. I would've noticed something before now."

Her voice floated down the corridor, but the words were foggy as he ran through his itinerary, thinking of everything he owned and where a will could be kept. There were maybe five or six plausible things for it to be in, but only two made sense. Dick, upon entering, opened up the nightstand's drawer and pulled out his picture frames.

His parents with himself. Him and Bruce. First, he set hands on the picture of his parents, knowing that would be the wrong one. He peeled off the backing and found nothing but the picture itself. Dick took a moment to look at his family, realizing that he'd always look so much like his father; he scarcely bore any of his mother's traits, just her skill in acrobatics.

He put it away.

And for a long moment, Dick stared at the picture of him and Bruce, reminiscing of that day. He almost didn't want to open up this frame, afraid that he might actually find it. If he did, he'd have to give up this new life. Heroing. His new family. This life was almost perfect. No, he wasn't living a rich life; no, he wasn't getting everything he wanted. But he was happy. And he wanted it to stay like that.

Finally, the realization of what finding the will meant dawned on him. Bruce's final words. His own destiny.

Dick stared at the picture and traced Bruce's face. Then, he put both frames away, never opening the second.

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><p><strong>AN: Leave a review? Thanks for following this as long as you have, guys…**

**~Sky**


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N: Getting through this pretty easily now that I actually have a good concept of where I want to end. Alright, here's another chapter of "How We Fall".**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fic.**

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><p>He hadn't left the room yet, and it jarred Artemis enough to make her turn off the stove and leave their dinner, just for a moment. The girl checked the front door and listened to Roy coming home and shutting himself in for the night. Then she padded her way back into the shared bedroom.<p>

Dick lay across his bed, body contorted into an unimaginably uncomfortable position, but he looked content, so she decided not to prod him with a hanger. The girl looked about the space and noticed that he'd put up his own poster- The Flying Graysons. She winced at the sight. If you didn't know the story, you weren't a true Gothamite.

And something clicked in her head. Jade, who had told her the story hundreds upon hundreds of times, had always mentioned that Batman took down the man who murdered the trapeze family. She never added the fact that Robin had appeared shortly after, nor had she thrown in that there were two survivors. To Artemis, it suddenly made sense.

Artemis brushed some hair away from his face, which caused him to subconsciously twitch. She decided not to touch him anymore.

Instead, she began looking around the room for other changes. She saw that the nightstand's drawer was still slightly open. Her closet door was ajar. The sun had gone down outside, but nothing major was out of place. Both of their beds were still perfectly made with army-like precision.

So Artemis reached over and pulled open the drawer. Her blue-gray gaze instantly caught sight of the two picture frames nestled within. Silently, she picked them up and analyzed each. One was of Dick and his parents. The second was of Dick and Bruce. She flipped each over and looked at the backsides. The one of Dick and Bruce seemed untouched.

Artemis tucked the one of Dick and his parents back in the drawer and made sure to close it this time. Upon leaving, she pushed the closet door shut and decided to let Richard sleep. Heading for the door, Artemis noticed one last change in the room: her Alice in Wonderland poster was once more pinned to the wall.

The girl smiled before departing.

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><p>"Red," she called into his apartment just before the door slammed behind her. "I think we've got the will."<p>

Roy appeared from the back bedroom, his hair wet and messy. The older archer wore no shirt, his native tattoos being the only mark on his bare torso. "You have what now?" he asked, rubbing his head with a towel.

"The will." She put the picture frame on the kitchen table. "I think it's in here."

His eyes narrowed in her direction. "You haven't looked yet?" he asked in disbelief, tossing the towel over the back of the couch and approaching his fellow archer.

"No."

"Well come on, let's crack that sucker open and see where he goes." Roy reached for the frame only to have Artemis's hand clasp over his. Their eyes met. "What're you-"

"Red, do we really want to open this?"

His gaze narrowed.

"If we open this, he may not be able to stay, Roy."

It took a few moments of processing, but he understood. The crimson archer pushed back a kitchen chair and sat down, rubbing a hand over his face and trying to take this in. "So we've been searching for this will only to not actually look at it?"

"They could take him away from us, Roy." She swallowed hard, terrified of losing him. Both of them, really. It was a lonely existence, just her and her mother. She didn't want to lose the best things that ever happened to her. Roy and Dick were like her brothers. Annoying bastards, sure, but they were loyal 'til the end and she would give anything for them. Family was family. "Do we really _want_ to look? Do we want to risk losing him to the League? Or even child services?"

Harper groaned. "God, he can't go back there. Child services screwed him up real bad the first time around, I'd hate to see what it would do to him now..."

Artemis decided she wouldn't ask.

Roy gave a low sigh and cracked his knuckles. A few seconds later, he was snatching the picture frame from Artemis and flipping it over.

"Roy-!"

"If we don't like it," he said slowly, "we put it back and no one saw anything, understand?" He gave her a look, and as soon as he saw her nod, he began to open the backing, taking it off.

A neatly folded piece of paper was inside.

"Shit," breathed Artemis darkly, turning around as if not looking would change the outcome.

Roy actually chuckled and kicked her ankle under the table. Then, after she sent him a death glare, he began unfolding it and finally checked. "Yeah, this is it alright."

Artemis did not want to be in the room. She wanted to be back in her own apartment making dinner like they'd never found it.

Roy cleared his throat and sighed. "It says that he-"

As if summoned, the door opened and a sleepy-eyed Dick pushed his way in. His eyes did find the paper, but it didn't concern him much. His voice came out hoarse. "Barry called."

The first thing on the archers' minds: Wally.

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><p><strong>AN: Leave a review, thanks for reading.**

**~Sky**


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N: Alright, we're closing in on the final chapters. I think there'll be one more official chapter and then a brief epilogue. So here's the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or any associated characters.**

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><p>"I feel like jelly," laughed Wally, scraggly hair hanging across his forehead. He'd been maintained for the past few months, but he still looked ragged at best. "Really, my whole body is basically dead. But I can talk, so no big deal, right?" A grin crept across his features, broad and smug.<p>

"The rest of us sort of liked it better when you were quiet, West," remarked Roy, only to be hit by both Gothamites in the room. "Ouch. Guys, come on, that was unnec-" He was hit a second (fourth?) time and went silent with a smirk.

"Don't listen to him," muttered Artemis, shooting her fellow archer the dirtiest look imaginable.

"We're glad you're awake, dude," breathed Dick, sitting at his best friend's bedside with a deeply seeded concern still glistening in his pristine azure orbs. "We were all really worried about you for a while. I was afraid you wouldn't-"

"Wouldn't wake up?" finished Wally, something dark clouding his vision while he forced a smile to lighten the mood as best he could. "You never needed to worry about me. Speedster, remember? Speed-healing and whatnot. I was always going to wake up, Rob." This time, his grin was genuine. "Besides, I can't just leave you alone with these two knuckleheads, can I?"

Artemis concurred, "Okay, maybe I did like him better when he was quiet."

Something all too similar to a Batglare pierced her skin and she straightened up right away, her attitude checking itself, and she knew to watch her mouth. Once Dick's eyes were averted, she gave Roy a terribly apologetic look for the earlier diss.

"They take care of me," said Dick in all honesty; his voice was soft and sincere. "It's not ideal, but it's doable. And I get to stay in Gotham."

"Well, that was the plan, wasn't it?" Self-satisfaction overwhelmed Wally's features, turning him into the cocky ginger they'd all come to love. "Keep you in Gotham, where it's safe and sound for baby birds. Have the hawks keep an eye on you until you're ready to fly again." He gave a chuckle when Dick paled. "Dude, I can just tell you've put on the cape again. Don't even try it with me." Weakly, he pointed a finger at Artemis and Roy, who had broken out into satisfied smirks as well. "Their poker faces suck."

Humor caught Dick's eyes. "I know. I got about thirty bucks from Roy last week."

"You don't have to remind me, birdbrain." Calloused fingers pressed to his temple, he calculated how much work he'd have to do to earn that cash back...

Wally continued like there had never been a tangent to the conversation. "You're relaxed and calm. Less tension in your shoulders and that vein in your neck is receding for the most part. Your hair isn't as messy as you used to keep it. Oh, and you look less like a lost puppy and more like an over-worked, over-tired kid."

"When did he get observant?" asked Roy, which Artemis could only respond to with a shrug.

"Funny how none of the League have noticed yet," remarked Dick, pretending like he hadn't heard Roy and Artemis's side conversation. "But I'm grateful. They could be turning a blind eye for all I know, I'm just glad to be back at it." A content sigh passed his lips along with a look of sheer satisfaction. "Life has purpose again, you know?"

Wally flailed one arm what little he could before loosing a hoarse laugh. "Kind of. Because being conscious is better than months and months of being a vegetable."

Dick smiled and picked up Wally's mostly limp arm by the wrist. "Barry said you should be back up again in about a month as long as your muscles repair themselves fast. Running again in two months, probably back on the job in three. Under the conditions that you behave and whatnot," he added with a sly grin, which the speedster returned without missing a beat.

"Which leaves you stuck here while we work out wherever this one's going," noted Roy, withdrawing the will from his pocket. He gently tossed the slip of paper in Dick's lap. "You should take a look at that. Check it verbatim. Because really, I'm not sure I believe it myself."

Artemis really wanted to hit him for bringing it along, but on the other hand, Wally's reaction was a mixed, both concern and excitement sweeping across his jade visage.

"You actually looked at it?" asked Grayson somberly with a disappointed glance at the auburn archer.

"If you don't like what it says, we'll put it back and no one ever saw it." One corner of his mouth then quirked up, his sucky poker face coming out again. "Trust me though, I think you'll be alright with what he planned for you."

"As long as Canary doesn't have control-"

"Not even mentioned."

Reluctantly, Richard gave Roy one last wary look before checking to see KF's encouraging smile. He then proceeded to unfold it in the slowest possible fashion.

His eyes scanned the document until he saw his name. 'Richard John Grayson' wasn't too hard to spot over the years, especially when skimming newspaper articles or teen magazine snippets.

_I leave my ward, Richard John Grayson, in his own hands. He is capable of choosing his own path, and I leave it to him to decide where he spends the rest of his childhood and/or teenage years. If should so choose to find a home with his circus family once more, it is his decision and I leave his life in his own hands this time._

"That was..." Disbelief hazed his perception. "...anticlimactic."

Artemis's lips were pursed, waves of frustration coming off of her. "I agree."

"What are you complaining about?" asked Roy, sharing a cynical (but very satisfied) look with West. "You've got a choice. You can stay with us, Dick. You can keep a room in the Watchtower if you want to. Hell, you could even move back in with Wally! Bruce gave you options, be grateful!" He'd been in the system before and he was glad Dick wasn't going to be put back through child services. The orphanage had hurt him once and no way was Harper letting him go back in there, not even if the world depended on it.

"Roy, you're missing the point. Bruce didn't do this to give me options," breathed Dick, neatly folding the paper up along the same creases he'd opened it to. "Bruce did this to tell me he trusted me, that he raised me right. It's not telling me what to do or that he wants me to live a certain life. He gave me my freedom."

Upon its offering, Roy reached out and took the paper back, slipping it back in his pocket. "Still, you've got options. Show this to Dinah and explain it to her, you're home free."

For a long time. He wasn't quite sure what to think. He was blessed, yes, to have Bruce give him a choice. But maybe he anticipated this, death in the line of duty, and could sense that the League, his family, would be protective of their precious bird. Dick wanted to believe that Bruce had done this so he could remain Robin. But he couldn't be sure. He'd never be sure because there was no way for him to go and ask Bruce if he was saving his ward from himself once again.

"You'll stay in Gotham, right?" asked Wally, jade eyes obviously hopeful. Gotham was better than the Watchtower and was easily better than Clark Kent's apartment. The only other true options were Mount Justice or with the Allens again.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, slipping on his familiar shades, and standing up, he gave a resigned look to the archers and then to the speedster. "I need to think about things." His lips were pursed as he headed for the door, shoulder slumped forward with his hair in his eyes. "I'll get back to you guys on that."

And he was gone.

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><p>"He left you with a choice?" asked the magician's daughter, her head tilted to the side slightly. Her expectant eyes left the passing cars to look at her friend; he was clearly distraught, and it troubled her more than anything else in the world. In the few months that she'd known him, he'd been living in a form of absolute Hell for a child like him. And right now, Dick Grayson was more torn up inside than she'd ever seen him in his purgatory.<p>

"He trusts me enough to decide on my future," breathed the bird, fingers running through his hair as he anxiously tried to spit out coherent words. "I don't know what I want to do with my life. I'm fifteen, I'm a junior in high school, I shouldn't have to make these decisions, Zee."

Her heart went out to him, and she truly wanted to just hold him and tell him it would be alright. But she couldn't promise such things.

"In the past two years, I've been left behind, kicked out, stranded, and finally dragged away to a home that I thought could be permanent. Artemis and Roy finally seemed to be getting along and then they went and found the will..." He sighed and tilted his head back, looking up at the big blue sky with sheep-like clouds drifting across the massive meadow of the atmosphere. "I love it there," he said softly, "but I feel like a burden. Mrs. Crock shouldn't have to take care of me. She works two jobs just to make ends meet and Roy's barely making enough to support himself along with minimal help from Ollie. It's like we're barely afloat."

His voice was breaking slightly; she could feel her heart doing the same.

"Bruce left me money, but I still feel like I'd be undermining all of their hard work by taking the easy route. I just don't want to put any of them through this misery of working their butts off when there's an easier way, and yet the easier way would hurt their pride. And you know how Artemis is with her pride." He finally looked to her with the faint traces of a grin lingering on his face and could see diamond-like tears in her sapphire blue eyes. "Zatanna, are you o-"

Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him in for a tight, loving hug. "Dick," she said with a heartbreaking smile, those tears slipping down her face, "you are one of the strongest, smartest, most incredible people I've ever met." The magician's daughter pulled out of the hug, but her arms still encircled his neck to keep him close. "If Bruce is trusting you with your own life and your own money, you should trust yourself too." After he'd brushed away a tear with a careful finger, she gave a shied laugh and continued softly, "You should do what makes you happy. Don't worry about other people right now. Just be happy. That's all anybody's ever wanted for you."

He smiled and wiped away another tear, which gave her a reason to hug him again. Dick could merely thank her for her words and return the gesture. And he felt happy.

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><p><strong>AN: In my head, this whole concept sounded so much better, but I feel exactly like Dick says. I'm sorry if it doesn't live up to what you were expecting, but hey, it's what I've had in mind the entire time and I feel like it's exactly what would happen.**

**Also, I'd like to say that I tried to play the platonic card there in the end, but I haven't been shipping much lately, so I'm sorry if my Chalant side came through. Alright, anyways, please leave a review and thank you guys for still sticking with this story.**

**~Sky**


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N: Okay, last chapter. Epilogue will be posted soon.**

**Addressing one review: It wasn't the whole will. It was just the part that was relevant to the story. I didn't need to write out a full legal document to satisfy every question you guys have. If you have more questions that I haven't answered yet in this fic, go ahead and review and ask, then I'll probably get back to you or answer it in the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: None. I do not own.**

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><p>He usually sleeps in Gotham. The air is filthy but the crime rate is lower by the day. He loves it there, loves his small family, loves going to school and parkouring his way home. He loves looking up at the poster on the wall each night and sending a silent prayer to his parents, thanking them for offering this life, this sweet, precious life. In guilt and suffering, he owes it to them.<p>

He still has a room in Mount Justice though, which is his headquarters for the four or five rooms he has across the League's members. Gotham is his favorite, yet he does stay with Wally on weekends and loves to be with Ollie and Dinah on chili night.

The Watchtower even has a home for him, a room nestled in the back corner with easy access to the gym. He still likes keeping busy even though he's shuffling himself between homes and beds. He can't decide whether it's nice to have the freedom or if it's nice to know it's permanent.

Permanent isn't really the right word. Once he's eighteen, he can stay in any of them whenever he wants, but for some reason, Dick feels like he'll be ready to hide out on his own and call his own shots. He likes having this big world at his disposal, but he also likes knowing that he'll be safe and secure in one spot.

He likes all of his homes, really. Clark's apartment is quiet, perfect for long study sessions. The Man of Steel will just sit in the background and type away on his laptop without hardly glancing in Dick's direction. Ollie's house is always a party, alive with women and drinks and suits. Richard never exactly loved that lifestyle, but he does enjoy spending time with Roy, especially when he's grumpy in his suit. And hey, it's not always a bad thing to go and promote Wayne Enterprises... The Allen household is open at any time. The zeta-tubes are available whenever they're needed and a bunk bed was added to Wally's room just for him. There's a room right next to Conner's in Mount Justice, which is great because Con is always the first one to hear if he's having nightmares and is always the first one to whisper him Romani words to calm his nerves. It's nice to have a friend. The Watchtower is mostly unused, but every now and then he'll hide there and simply focus on his training.

He had many homes now; well, he always had many homes, but the limitations were too strict. Now he's free, free as a bird, and he never misses a chance to escape.

Besides Gotham, Mount Justice and Manhattan are tied for his second home. He spends most weekends with Zatanna or Wally if there isn't a mission or training. It's a good life, and he's happy.

Training isn't bad. Canary always takes it easy on him though, which is annoying. But then there's Conner who'll always go all-in and throw punches until he's blue in the face. And Artemis is never one to fight lightly: she's the first to give him a black eye, usually. Her or Roy.

His mantle is still in use. He takes night patrols with the archers in Gotham before returning home to wherever he's chosen to sleep for the night. Robin exists, but no one knows. Only the bad guys and even then, they're too scared to say anything. The Big Bad Bat may come out of the shadows with seething fury. No one's dumb enough to risk it.

He doesn't lead the team yet- it's Kaldur's job. Still, Richard's preparing for the day he'll be given the role. He's ready for it. He's earned it. Hell, it's taken long enough.

Now he's doing fine. He's able to live freely, wander as he pleases, fight villains by night and play student in the daylight. The rules are flexible and as long as he calls in every so often, he's able to roam.

"You going down to Smallville for the long weekend?" asks an eighteen-year-old Artemis as she slings her jacket over one shoulder, ready to head out to work as her comrade gets home from another long day of classes at Gotham Academy.

"Yeah, Conner said Jonathan and Martha just got a new horse." He grins. "He said I could ride it as long as I put away the birdarangs for all four days."

"Which probably won't happen," comes Roy's voice from the couch. Next thing he knows, he takes a sneaker to the back of the head. The redhead looks over his shoulder to see Dick looking like a deer in headlights just as Artemis is slamming the door shut behind her.

"She did it," accuses Dick. He is only wearing one shoe.

"Go pack, birdbrain."

With a victorious smile, he heads off down the hall to the shared bedroom in the Crock residence; a shoe bangs off the wall behind him and he breaks into a run, laughing the whole way.

Life is good. And he's happy.

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><p><strong>AN: Alright, just leave a review. Thanks for hanging in to see this through guys.**

**~Sky**


	56. Epilogue

**A/N: Here is the epilogue to the story. Thank you to everyone who read along and reviewed. I learned a lot from this story and the feedback and ideas you guys gave. Thanks, guys. You kept me writing it.**

**Disclaimer: I think you get the point by this chapter.**

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><p>"Let's go, let's go," hisses one burglar to his partner as the sirens outside begin to sing out an alarm. "We don't have much time until-"<p>

_TWANG!_

An arrow burrows its metal head into the wall right beside his head. A laugh rings out like a bell, childish and threatening in the same moment. "You guys should just quit now before-"

"Run!" The first masked man slaps the other on the back before bolting for his own life, one bag of looted cash in his grubby, gloved hand.

The second, slower to realize his imminent danger, actually turns around to stare three vigilantes right in the face.

"Hi there," says the blonde with a Cheshire smile before giving him a nice kick to the side of the head, effectively knocking him out cold. She gives her partners in crime, a tall dark-haired teen and an even taller redhead, a knowing look.

"You guys want to take him?" asks the teen, Robin, as he watched the crook head for the hills, cops coming from the other direction and unable to take notice.

The redhead lifts a bow with careful precision and looses an arrow; it strikes the criminal's baggy hoodie perfectly and pins his clothing, and him, to the cold ground where he flails helplessly like a dead fish while the bag of money lies a few feet away.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm up and out." Artemis, the blonde, has taken notice of the approaching police and nocks her own bow with a grappling arrow. She fires up to the rooftops and is quickly being pulled up to the rooftops by pulley.

"I'm off," says the other archer before executing a few quick gymnastics moves picked up from the acrobat, leaving the raven-haired teen all alone in the alleyway on the backside of the bank; his fiery hair is the last thing seen.

Robin looks to both ends of the alley and catches sight of white cars with red and blue lights squealing to a stop. He gives a laugh; in a heartbeat, he's on a fire escape and is watching as cuffs are slapped on both crooks who claim to have seen the Boy Wonder.

One of the cops, the Commissioner, laughs. "Robin died with Batman."

Then he's on the rooftops alongside Artemis, pocketing his grappling hook again. "They've been taken into custody. Cops got the money, taking it to evidence at the station. It'll probably be returned to the bank if an officer doesn't take it."

"Roy knows about the corruption. Planted a tracker with that shot. We'll just have to check on it again every few hours." She holds up the tracking device; a little blip on the screen moves as the bag was taken back to the station.

"Rob," calls their comm links. "Might wanna check on your bike."

"On it," he replies to Roy before beginning his trek across the rooftops towards where he parked and hid his R-cycle. "I'll catch up with you guys on the corner of Drake and Third." He jumps down to a lower building and carries on, now picking up pace to a steady run.

An arrow flies by his head as Artemis sets another wire. She shoots past him towards the rendezvous point, hanging from the line by her green bow.

Two long rooftops later, he's dropping into the alley that shelters his bike. His cape falls flat, and he brushes his hair from his eyes. And when he looks up, there's another kid in the alley, maybe two years younger than him. His face is marked with scrapes, and he bears a black eye. Scraggly hair is like a too-big ebony crown on his head, overwhelming his pale face. There's a pair of green eyes set into his head, and they're afraid, terrified of the Boy Wonder that stands before him. He even drops the tire that he was about to steal from the R-cycle.

Dick can tell he's a stray; the tattered and baggy clothes speak volumes. He's a lost boy making money where he can. Selling tires is work. "Hey," he says softly, "don't worry, I won't hurt you."

The kid lunges, pulling a small pocket knife on Robin and slicing through the air with surprising precision. There's an anger in his eyes, and something reminiscent of that prior fear.

Dodge. Dodge. Twist, kick, _clatter,_and the knife is on the ground of the alley. The boy takes another step and tries to land a punch only to have his fist caught in Robin's hand. Then that fear wins out. Because Robin is supposed to be dead. He died with Batman. "I won't hurt you," reiterates Dick. "I promise."

Again, he lunges, kicking out at Dick's ankles. The Boy Wonder hops this move and quickly pins the kid to the wall. Still, he's actually impressed with the stray's skills. For being a street rat, he's not too bad at hand-to-hand combat. Maybe... "I'm not mad," he says. "I want to help."

"But it's your bike," sputters the kid, face half smashed into the rough bricks of the wall. "Why would you help me steal-"

"You need a place to stay, right?" asks Robin. "Decent food? Better clothes?" After all, Bruce helped him, took him in...

The boy swallows hard. He's desperate.

"It's not hard to tell." Dick lets go of him. "Go put the tires back on and we'll talk." There's an angry, almost threatening glare in the vigilante's direction, but the orders aren't questioned and tools are used for good instead of evil as the wheels are put back onto the bike.

Dick touches one finger to his ear, radioing over to his comrades. "Roy, you have a spare room, right?"

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><p><strong>AN: And there is your final piece. As Bart would say: TA-DA! Second finished full-length fic for this fandom. Thanks again, guys. It was a fun ride.**

**~Sky**


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